'Red-headed puppet with a hand up his a**e': Amelia Dimoldenberg roasts Ed Sheeran live on SNL UK over Macklemore row

From the Newshound archive · first published 27 September 2026 · last updated 28 September 2026.

Amelia Dimoldenberg publicly branded Ed Sheeran a "world-famous red-headed puppet with a hand up his a**e telling him what to say" during her Saturday Night Live UK opening monologue, drawing cheers from the studio audience. The 'Chicken Shop Date' host, 32, pulled off a two-beat gag — a photo of Elmo appeared first, then swapped for an image of Sheeran, 35, as Dimoldenberg stood silent and let the crowd erupt. The jab lands as Sheeran faces the biggest backlash of his career over the Macklemore tour row. His Loop Tour collapsed after Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and backing band Beoga all quit in solidarity with the dropped rapper.

Macklemore, 43, was axed after shouting "Free Palestine" on stage at Sheeran's New Jersey MetLife Stadium show earlier this month.

Macklemore claims New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft pressured stadium owners to give Sheeran an ultimatum over keeping the rapper on the bill.

Sheeran read a tearful response from a teleprompter live on stage last week, the very image Dimoldenberg's 'puppet' jab was skewering.