Ed Sheeran suffers fresh blow amid Macklemore controversy

Ed Sheeran has been hit with another setback amid the controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal from his US tour.

It comes as the 'Shape of You' singer continues to face criticism over the decision, following the rapper’s support for Palestinians during his performances in New Jersey.

According to data from Social Blade, reported by The Independent, Sheeran lost almost half a million Instagram followers in the space of a week as the upset rumbled on.

At the time of writing (24 September), his following on the social media platform stands at 47.2 million.

The decline reportedly began after Macklemore announced on 14 September that he had been pulled from the remaining US dates of the Loop Tour.

Sheeran later said the tour promoter and venues made the decision, not him.

The drama has continued to follow the 35-year-old on the road.

Several of his scheduled support acts withdrew from the tour after Macklemore’s departure.

Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe were among those who announced they would no longer perform, while Irish group Beoga, who had been working with Sheeran as his backing band, also pulled out.

Sheeran went ahead with his Philadelphia performance on 19 September, where he addressed the situation in an emotional speech.

“I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes,” he said.

“I’m so, so sorry. I don’t want to disappoint fans. I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”

The hitmaker continued: “What happened in Israel, and at the music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain.

“What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilian loss and loss of children’s lives.”

“The systemic injustice we’re seeing unfolding in the West Bank cannot be overlooked,” he added.

Sheeran also apologised to fans and said he had made difficult decisions while acknowledging that he had made 'mistakes'.

The show itself had also been altered.

Sheeran removed the smaller B-stage, which normally allows him to perform closer to the middle of the audience.

He told concertgoers that he had been concerned about what might happen if he moved into the crowd following the turbulent week, including the possibility of objects being thrown at him.

The changes came after he had described the previous week as one of the most difficult periods of his life.

The star also spoke about feeling that friends and people he had known for years were distancing themselves from him.

The controversy has now spilled beyond Sheeran’s professional circle and into his family.

His cousin Jethro Sheeran, a musician who performs as Alonestar, publicly criticised the singer on social media last week.

Jethro made a series of allegations about their personal and professional relationship, while also claiming that he believed Sheeran was responsible for Macklemore’s removal.

Those claims have not been independently substantiated, and Sheeran has not publicly responded to the allegations.

Meanwhile, Macklemore has continued to speak about the situation and has announced plans to donate money earned from his appearances on Sheeran’s tour to organisations supporting Palestinians.

Robert Kraft, whose company is connected to one of the venues on the tour, has also discussed plans relating to humanitarian aid.

For Sheeran, the immediate issue is likely to be his remaining US shows, with his next scheduled performance due to take place at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts on 25 September.

The songwriter has made it clear that he intends to continue the tour despite the backlash.

Whether the controversy will have a lasting impact on his audience remains uncertain, but the latest social media figures show that the dispute has undeniably been causing sizeable problems for Sheeran.

Tyla has contacted representatives of Ed Sheeran for comment.