Boy George has branded Paloma Faith “radical” for her criticism of Ed Sheeran following the departure of Macklemore from his tour.
Ms Faith urged Mr Sheeran to pull the plug on the remaining dates of his Loop Tour after support act Macklemore’s exit due to his “Free Palestine” messaging during his warm-up performances.
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.
“Ideologically, I think that would be the right thing to do,” Ms Faith, 45, said when asked if Mr Sheeran should end the tour.
Paloma Faith and Boy George (centre left and right) worked together on The Voice
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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.
Ed Sheeran has vowed to continue his tour | GETTY
“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.
Well done to @edsheeran for going on stage with his guitar and proving that he can perform solo. 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…
— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) September 17, 2026
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
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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.