Amelia Dimoldenberg used her opening monologue on the 26 September episode of SNL UK to tease Ed Sheeran, joking that he was a “world-famous red-headed puppet”. The gag referred to his 2021 appearance on her YouTube series Chicken Shop Date, which Dimoldenberg recently said would end after more than 12 years.

The joke came amid criticism of Sheeran’s Loop Tour after Macklemore was removed from its US leg following pro-Palestinian remarks at two New Jersey concerts in early September. Sheeran later performed two Philadelphia shows without opening acts, saying he wanted the concerts to focus on unity and humanity rather than politics. SNL UK had also portrayed him as a “fence-sitter” in a sketch the previous week; Macklemore has since announced benefit concerts in Dublin, Paris and London.