Is there anything British comedy won’t skewer when it comes to our favorite ginger troubadour?
Saturday Night Live UK just served Ed Sheeran a piping hot cup of roast tea during their September 19 live broadcast, and honestly? We’re still picking our jaws up off the floor. The British variety series opened with a royal family-themed cold open that reimagined the late Princess Diana as an artificial intelligence robot assisting her ex-husband, King Charles III. Because nothing says “respectful tribute” like turning the People’s Princess into Alexa with a tiara.
But the real meat of the sketch came when the AI Diana turned her algorithmic wrath toward Sheeran and Macklemore’s Loop Tour controversy. The dynamic duo has been catching heat faster than a ginger in the Mediterranean sun over ticketing practices that left fans feeling more twisted than a pretzel at Oktoberfest. SNL UK’s writers didn’t hold back, portraying Sheeran as the ultimate fence-sitter — literally perched atop a white picket fence while refusing to pick a side on the drama.
“I’m just a singer with a loop pedal and a dream,” the Sheeran impersonator deadpanned, looping his own excuses in real time. “Shape of You? More like Shape of Yikes.” The audience erupted. Social media followed suit. Twitter (fine, X) exploded with clips of the segment faster than you can say “Bad Habits.” One user wrote: “SNL UK just did what American SNL hasn’t had the guts to do in YEARS. Actually hold a pop star accountable.” Another chimed in: “The AI Diana bit is tasteless but the Sheeran roast? CHEF’S KISS.”
Sheeran’s camp has remained characteristically silent — probably drafting another heartfelt Instagram note about “learning and growing” while the tour rolls on. Macklemore? Also quiet. But we all know the internet never forgets, and neither does British satire.
What do you think? A) SNL UK crossed a line with the AI Diana bit B) Ed Sheeran deserved every second of that fence-sitting roast