Amelia Dimoldenberg calls Ed Sheeran ‘red-headed puppet’ in SNL UK debut

• The joke marked the second consecutive week SNL UK mocked Sheeran, following earlier sketches that lampooned him as a fence-sitter and targeted his fanbase during Weekend Update.

• The parody follows criticism of Sheeran after rapper Macklemore was removed from his US tour over his support for Palestine. 

Chicken Shop Date host Amelia Dimoldenberg became the latest star to take a jab at Ed Sheeran during her hosting debut on Saturday Night Live UK, marking the second consecutive week the late-night comedy sketch show has targeted the pop star.

Dimoldenberg opened the third episode of the show's second season with a monologue reflecting on her rise to fame and her interviewing experience.

"I've been incredibly privileged to have done so many interviews with people like Idris Elba, Cher, and even a world-famous redheaded puppet with a hand up his a** telling him what to say," She told the audience.

After an image of Sesame Street character Elmo was displayed on screen, Dimoldenberg added, "No, the other one," before the picture switched to a photo of her alongside Sheeran.

The joke follows a series of sketches on the show mocking Sheeran following public controversy surrounding the removal of American rapper Macklemore from his US tour.

In the previous episode, cast member Annabel Marlow portrayed Sheeran as a "fence-sitter" who preferred to say nothing during major conflicts to avoid alienating fans. Set against a comedic storyline where King Charles rallies resistance against a rogue AI robot modeled after Princess Diana, Marlow's Sheeran interrupts to state: "I was just outside sitting on the fence. Thing is, Your Majesty, I don't like to take sides. I don't want to alienate any of my fans, humans or robots."

During the same episode, Weekend Update co-host Ania Magliano joked that the recent tour controversy was "the worst thing that has happened to Ed Sheeran fans since their head injury". Co-host Paddy Young added personal jabs, calling Sheeran a "passionate advocate of causes that are allowed."

Social media users reacted enthusiastically to Dimoldenberg's monologue, with viewers calling the joke "brutal" and remarking on how the British iteration of SNL appeared to have developed a recurring theme targeting the pop star.

Someone called Amelia Dimoldenberg really looked Ed Sheeran dead in the eyes and chose violence 😭
Calling him a “world-famous red-headed puppet with a hand up his arse” is DIABOLICAL 💀

GURL. 😂

— Abier (@abierkhatib) September 27, 2026

The friction began when rapper Macklemore, real name Ben Haggerty, was removed from Sheeran’s tour lineup following on-stage "Free Palestine" remarks made during a performance. The decision led to further complications as other supporting acts and members of Sheeran's backing band stepped down in solidarity.

Macklemore later revealed that billionaire venue owner Robert Kraft had issued an ultimatum, stating the tour would not be permitted at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, if the rapper remained on the bill. Sheeran clarified to fans that the decision was made by tour promoters and venues rather than himself, adding that he was "deeply worried" about venues attempting to pre-approve artists' political content.

Read more: Ed Sheeran's cousin calls him “coward” amid Macklemore row

Addressing the crowd during a solo performance last week, Ed Sheeran addressed the situation: "In these situations, you really find out who your friends are, and it’s been a weird week. I just feel like it happened very quickly."

Adding to the tour's setback, both planned shows at the Kraft-owned Gillette Stadium on Friday and Saturday were ultimately canceled due to approaching severe weather in New England.