Amelia Dimoldenberg introduced a “world-famous, red-headed puppet with a hand up his arse telling him what to say” during her first Saturday Night Live UK opening monologue. The screen behind her showed Elmo.
“No, the other one,” Dimoldenberg said. Elmo disappeared and was replaced by a photograph of the Chicken Shop Date creator with Ed Sheeran, drawing laughter and cheers from the studio audience, according to The Independent.
The September 26 punch line used Dimoldenberg’s own history with Sheeran, whom she interviewed for Chicken Shop Date in 2021. It also came one week after SNL UK used the singer’s recent tour controversy as material for a cold open.
Dimoldenberg did not explain whether her “puppet” description referred to that dispute. Sheeran has faced criticism in recent weeks following Macklemore’s removal from eight remaining U.S. dates on his Loop Tour.
Sheeran Was Previously a ‘Chicken Shop Date’ Guest
The photograph came from Dimoldenberg’s November 2021 Chicken Shop Date episode with Sheeran, filmed at a Sam’s Chicken location in Queen’s Park, London.
Sheeran played along with the deliberately uncomfortable faux-date format as Dimoldenberg questioned him about romance and suggested they could make music together. When she proposed playing the piano while he sang, Sheeran responded that he would prefer to perform by himself.
The episode remains one of the most-watched installments of the series, with more than 8 million views on Dimoldenberg’s YouTube channel.
‘SNL UK’ Had Mocked Sheeran One Week Earlier
The September 19 episode featured cast member Annabel Marlow impersonating Sheeran during a cold open built around an imagined conflict between humans and artificial intelligence. Wearing a ginger wig and fake tattoos and carrying a loop pedal, Marlow’s Sheeran resisted choosing between the two sides.
The character said he did not want to alienate either humans or robots and joked that some of his concert tickets were purchased by scalping bots. The sketch also portrayed him as believing that sometimes the bravest response to conflict was saying nothing.
The Independent connected the satire to the criticism surrounding Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s Loop Tour.
The Tour Dispute Had Escalated Days Before Dimoldenberg Hosted
Macklemore was removed from eight remaining U.S. dates on Sheeran’s Loop Tour after making pro-Palestinian remarks during a September 4 performance at MetLife Stadium, including saying “Free Palestine.”
Tour promoter Messina Touring Group said venue owners had refused to host shows that included Macklemore. Sheeran subsequently said the decision to remove him was not his and that he had tried to find another solution before being told the decision was final, according to Reuters.
Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and members of Sheeran’s touring band Beoga later withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
At his September 19 concert in Philadelphia, Sheeran addressed the fallout publicly. He apologized for how he had handled the situation, condemned the October 7 attacks in Israel and described the devastation and civilian deaths in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.” He also said injustice in the West Bank could not be overlooked.
Reuters reported that pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the Philadelphia show, while fans interviewed at the venue expressed differing views about Sheeran, Macklemore and the role of politics at concerts.
Dimoldenberg Hosted With Rachel Chinouriri as Musical Guest
Dimoldenberg’s September 26 appearance came during the second season of the British adaptation of Saturday Night Live. Rachel Chinouriri served as musical guest for the episode.
The hosting job added another live television role to Dimoldenberg’s work beyond Chicken Shop Date, which has expanded to include high-profile red-carpet interviews and film appearances.
Sheeran had not publicly responded to Dimoldenberg’s “red-headed puppet” joke in the immediate coverage following the broadcast.