"SNL UK" is taking aim at Ed Sheeran.
The British spinoff of "Saturday Night Live" in its latest episode mocked the "Shape of You" singer, who has faced backlash ever since Macklemore was removed from his tour after making pro-Palestine comments.
In the "SNL UK" cold open on Sept. 19, Sheeran, played by Annabel Marlow, shows up during a meeting between King Charles (Larry Dean) and tech billionaires.
"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," the singer says. "You see, I was just outside, sitting on the fence."
The rest of the sketch focused on Charles sharing concerns about the dangers of AI and being introduced to an AI android named D.I.A.N.A. (Jack Shep), modeled after Princess Diana. But the AI goes rogue; her creators warn that "we've
lost control of the D.I.A.N.A.," to which Charles says, "This was the problem last time!"
When Charles asks Sheeran for help in the war between robots and humans, the singer declines to get involved.
"The thing is, your majesty, I don't like to take sides," he says. "I don't want to alienate any of my fans, humans or robots. A lot of my tickets are bought by scalping bots. You know, sometimes, when it comes to conflicts, the bravest thing you can do is to say nothing at all!"
Sheeran then launches into a song with lyrics about how "both sides are equally right, no matter the conflict, whatever the fight."
The sketch was based on the backlash sparked by Macklemore being dropped from Sheeran's Loop tour after he uttered "Free Palestine" onstage at a pair of shows in New Jersey.
The tour's promoter, Messina Touring Group, said it had been notified by venues "that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup." The backlash to Macklemore's removal was swift, with opening acts Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Finneas dropping out of the tour in solidarity.
In a statement released Sept. 15, Sheeran said "Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine." He also wrote that he is "appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine," adding that "the suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy."
Sheeran spoke out further during a Sept. 19 tour stop in Philadelphia, where he told fans, "I've had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes and I'm so, so sorry."
At the show, Sheeran also spoke to where he stands on the "situation in Israel and Palestine," calling it an "humanitarian issue" and saying he can't "hide how I feel about it anymore."
"What happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain," he said. "What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart's been broken by the scale of devastation and the loss of civilians' lives, children's lives."
"SNL UK" returned for its second season on Sept. 12, earlier than the U.S. version of "SNL," which is back on Sept. 26. The latest episode was hosted by Jamie Demetriou, with "Chicken Shop Date" host Amelia Dimoldenberg set to take over as host next week.
Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri and Kaitlyn McCormick
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'SNL UK' skewers Ed Sheeran for 'sitting on the fence' amid backlash
