Amelia Dimoldenberg brought Ed Sheeran into the spotlight during her first turn hosting Saturday Night Live UK, using her opening monologue to make a joke about the singer.
During the September 26 episode, Dimoldenberg introduced what she described as a famous red-headed puppet. The setup initially revealed Elmo before the image switched to Sheeran, a reference that arrived amid recent attention surrounding his Loop Tour.
The moment followed controversy over Macklemore being removed from dates on the tour after making pro-Palestinian remarks. Sheeran has publicly said that the decision was made by the tour promoter and was not his personal call. Several other supporting artists later withdrew from scheduled appearances.
Sheeran has also spoken publicly about the wider situation. During a Philadelphia concert, he apologized for mistakes and addressed the October 7 attacks in Israel as well as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Dimoldenberg’s monologue turned those recent headlines into material for her SNL UK debut, bringing a topical edge to the episode.