Mr Sheeran insisted it was not his decision to axe Macklemore from his tour, but rather that it was tour organisers and venue owner Robert Kraft who ultimately denied the rapper the chance to continue performing.

She added: “I don’t know if he can, insurance-wise. I don’t really know the small print of that. It’s much more nuanced in a legal sense.”

Ms Faith also raised concerns about the broader consequences for those employed on the production. “I don’t know what the implications of that would be, sort of, financially to his team or whether it could bankrupt him,” she added.

Ms Faith also slammed Mr Sheeran’s desire to remain politically neutral on Gaza and Israel, pointing to a fundraising concert the pair both appeared at in support of Ukraine.

And she was particularly put out by Mr Sheeran’s justification that his audiences include children from varied backgrounds who do not expect a political forum. “That comment I don’t like,” she said.

“When he said that, it really upset me because there are so many children in Palestine who are faced with unimaginable things and shouldn’t be. I say ‘Free Palestine’ to my children every night. I think children should be exposed to politics.”

Despite her opposition to Mr Sheeran’s stance, Ms Faith concluded: “I definitely don’t think he’s a bad person. But I also think it was really gravely mishandled. It was a mistake. And I think he probably should come out and say it was a mistake.”

Ms Faith’s comments have garnered widespread criticism and ridicule from critics, including her The Voice former co-star Boy George.

The pair both served as judges on the singing competition during its final series on the BBC back in 2016.

“Well done to @edsheeran for going on stage with his guitar and proving that he can perform solo,” Boy George penned on X on Thursday.

“I thought he was wrong not to speak out against the rapper hijacking his shows but he got rid of him and a bunch of spineless rats followed.

“All the usual subjects have popped up on TV to have their say. Each one more dumb than the last.

“Faithless Paloma telling us she whispers ‘free Palestine’ into her kids ears before they sleep. Now that’s radical,” he signed off.

The former co-stars’ differing views on the issue of Israel-Gaza have risen to prominence in recent years, with Ms Faith becoming a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights while Boy George has supported Israel.

Ms Faith is far from the only public figure to publicly call for Mr Sheeran to end his tour. Musician Billy Bragg similarly warned the Lego House singer risked becoming a “pariah” if he doesn’t.

The dispute surrounding Mr Sheeran and Macklemore stems from the rapper’s opening set at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month.

During the set, the rapper declared “Free Palestine” and told the audience that people in Gaza and the West Bank had not been forgotten.

A petition subsequently called for his removal from the tour. Macklemore took to Instagram on Monday, alleging that Mr Sheeran and his team had taken the decision to cut him from the Loop Tour’s remaining dates.

Mr Sheeran responded on social media the following day, insisting the call had been made by the promoter rather than by him personally. He said he had spent the preceding week trying to find a way through the impasse.

Within days, every remaining support act on the tour withdrew from upcoming shows in solidarity with Macklemore, leaving Mr Sheeran without an opening bill for the final stretch of US dates.

Macklemore has alleged that New England Patriots owner Mr Kraft, a prominent donor to Israel, rallied other stadium owners to block his continued involvement.

Ricky Wilson, Paloma Faith, Boy George, and will.i.am were the coaches on the fifth season of The Voice in 2016

|PA

Mr Kraft has confirmed the rapper would not appear at his Gillette Stadium but has not publicly addressed the claim that he coordinated with other venue operators.

Despite the mounting turmoil, Mr Sheeran has signalled the shows will go ahead. The US leg is due to resume in Philadelphia on Saturday.

Boy George Sparks Feud With Former The Voice Co-Star Paloma Faith Over Ed Sheeran and Palestine Row

A fresh celebrity clash has erupted around Ed Sheeran’s US tour after Boy George publicly criticised his former The Voice UK co-star Paloma Faith over her comments about Palestine, Macklemore and the controversy surrounding Sheeran’s concerts.

The dispute began with Macklemore’s appearance as a support act during Sheeran’s Loop Tour at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month. During his performance, the American rapper spoke about Gaza and the West Bank, called for a “Free Palestine” and performed his protest song Hind’s Hall. Paloma Faith subsequently shared footage of the performance on social media with the words “My Hero”.

That response drew criticism from Boy George, who had worked alongside Faith as a coach on The Voice UK in 2016.

George took the disagreement directly to social media, questioning the political significance of Macklemore’s slogan and criticising Faith for praising the performance. His remarks turned what had already become a major dispute within the music industry into a personal disagreement between two former television colleagues.

The argument has since widened because Faith has also criticised Sheeran’s handling of the controversy.

In a television interview, Faith questioned Sheeran’s claim to political neutrality and argued that remaining neutral on an issue such as Israel and Palestine can itself have political implications. She also questioned why Sheeran had previously participated in a fundraising concert connected with Ukraine while presenting himself as politically neutral in relation to the Gaza conflict.

Faith went further by saying that she believed Sheeran should consider ending the remaining dates of the tour, although she acknowledged that there could be contractual, insurance and financial consequences for the large number of people working behind the scenes.

She also said that Sheeran’s comments about audiences containing children had particularly upset her. Faith has publicly described telling her own children “Free Palestine” and argued that children should be exposed to political issues.

Her remarks have added another layer to an already complicated dispute.

For Sheeran, the controversy began when Macklemore used his opening performance to make a political statement about the conflict.

Macklemore had already established himself as an outspoken supporter of Palestinian rights. His 2024 song Hind’s Hall was inspired by pro-Palestinian student demonstrations and criticised Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. During his September performances in New Jersey, he again addressed the conflict directly.

The response was sharply divided.

Some people praised Macklemore for using a major international stage to draw attention to Palestinians and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Others objected to political messaging being introduced into a concert whose main purpose was entertainment.

One organisation, the Israeli-American Council, launched a petition calling for Macklemore to be removed from the remaining dates of the tour, arguing that his performances had turned Sheeran’s concerts into a platform for what it described as a one-sided political agenda.

The controversy escalated when Macklemore announced that he would no longer appear on the remaining dates.

Macklemore claimed on social media that Sheeran and his team had made the decision to remove him from the tour. Sheeran subsequently disputed that account, saying the decision had been made by the promoter rather than by him personally.

Sheeran said he had spent several days trying to find a way through the dispute.

The disagreement over who actually made the decision has become one of the central points of the controversy.

It also produced an unexpected consequence for the rest of the tour.

Following Macklemore’s departure, the remaining support acts withdrew from the scheduled shows. Reports have described the situation as leaving Sheeran without his usual opening lineup for the final part of the US tour.

Boy George subsequently expressed support for Sheeran, although his criticism was not limited to Macklemore.

In a social-media post on September 17, George praised Sheeran for continuing to perform and criticised the rapper for using the concert platform to express his political views. He also attacked Faith over her public support for Macklemore.

George referred to Faith’s comments about saying “Free Palestine” to her children and described that position as “radical”.

The language used by George was deliberately provocative, ensuring that the dispute quickly became a story in its own right rather than remaining a disagreement about Sheeran’s tour.

The two singers already have a history together through The Voice UK. Both served as coaches during the programme’s 2016 series, alongside Ricky Wilson and will.i.am. Their relationship on the show was sometimes tense, and their latest disagreement has revived public interest in their contrasting personalities and political positions.

Faith has been increasingly vocal about Palestinian rights in recent years, while George has expressed views supportive of Israel and has criticised pro-Palestinian activism.

Their latest disagreement therefore reflects a much wider divide within the entertainment industry.

The Israel-Gaza conflict has repeatedly become a source of disagreement among musicians and actors. Some performers have used concerts, interviews and social media to call attention to Palestinian suffering, while others have warned against bringing political disputes into entertainment events.

The debate has become especially sensitive because public performances can reach thousands of people at once.

For supporters of political expression by musicians, concerts provide an opportunity to speak to audiences that may not normally engage with international affairs. Critics argue that audiences purchase tickets primarily to see performances and may not expect to encounter political campaigns during those events.

Sheeran appears to have attempted to maintain a distinction between his own position and the political statements made by performers appearing on his tour.

That distinction has not satisfied everyone.

Faith argued that political neutrality itself can carry political meaning. Her criticism was not necessarily that Sheeran personally supported one side of the conflict, but that his decision to avoid taking a public position could itself be interpreted as a position.

George, meanwhile, has taken a different approach, defending Sheeran’s right to continue performing without turning every concert into a political event.

The disagreement demonstrates how difficult neutrality can become for globally recognised performers.

Artists are often expected by parts of their audiences to speak about major international events. At the same time, artists also have commercial teams, employees, promoters, venues and contractual obligations to consider.

A decision by one performer can therefore affect hundreds of other people involved in a tour.

Faith acknowledged precisely that problem when discussing the possibility of Sheeran cancelling his remaining shows. She questioned what such a decision would mean financially for the people employed on the production and recognised that contractual and insurance considerations could make the situation more complicated than it appears from the outside.

The controversy has also attracted other famous names.

Pink criticised Macklemore’s performance, while Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has publicly commented on the wider Sheeran dispute. Other musicians and public figures have also expressed support for either Macklemore or Sheeran.

As more celebrities become involved, the original disagreement over one opening performance has developed into a much broader discussion about political speech, artistic freedom and the responsibilities of major entertainers.

For Macklemore, the issue is closely connected with his long-standing advocacy for Palestinians.

For Faith, the controversy is about whether artists should remain silent when they believe a major humanitarian issue is unfolding.

For George, the central issue appears to be whether Macklemore was entitled to turn Sheeran’s concert platform into a political stage, and whether Faith was justified in praising him for doing so.

For Sheeran, the dispute has created an unwanted controversy around a tour that was supposed to centre on his music.

The disagreement has also demonstrated the power and danger of social media.

A short post or video can rapidly transform a private disagreement into an international entertainment story. George’s comments about Faith were quickly reported and reposted, while Faith’s earlier remarks about Sheeran generated their own wave of online reaction.

Neither singer appears to have backed away from the underlying disagreement.

That means the feud could continue to attract attention even after the tour controversy eventually fades.

The most significant question now may be what happens to the remaining Loop Tour dates and whether Sheeran chooses to make further public comments about the political dispute.

He has already made clear that he did not personally make the decision to remove Macklemore, while Macklemore has maintained a different account of events.

The disagreement between those versions has not been fully resolved in the public conversation.

Meanwhile, Faith has continued to question Sheeran’s approach to political neutrality, while George has continued to defend him and criticise those who have attacked his handling of the situation.

What began as a few minutes of political commentary during a concert has consequently developed into a dispute involving several internationally recognised musicians.

It has raised questions about where the boundaries between entertainment and political expression should lie.

Should artists use major concerts to speak about international conflicts? Should performers be free to make political statements when appearing as support acts? Should headliners be held responsible for comments made by other artists? And can a musician realistically remain completely neutral when audiences, colleagues and social media users expect a response?

There are no simple answers to those questions.

What is clear is that the Sheeran-Macklemore controversy has exposed significant differences among musicians over the role of politics in popular entertainment.

And the personal clash between Boy George and Paloma Faith has given that wider debate another highly publicised chapter.

Their disagreement may have started with a social-media post about Macklemore, but it now touches on much bigger questions about artistic freedom, political expression and the expectations placed on celebrities.

For Sheeran, the immediate priority remains completing his tour.

For Macklemore, the controversy has further amplified his political message.

For Faith and George, however, the dispute has become a very public disagreement between two former colleagues whose views on one of the world’s most divisive political issues now stand sharply apart.