Anyway, that was the apparent mission statement of SNL UK Weekend Update anchors Ania Magliano and Paddy Young on Saturday’s fake news show within a sketch show. A consistently strong segment during the Saturday Night Live spinoff’s first season, last night’s Season 2, episode 2 (hosted by The Afterparty‘s Jamie Demetriou) outing saw the peerlessly cheeky anchors take aim at both Sheeran and New England Patriots owner and billionaire Robert Kraft.
Naturally, the reason British comedians even know the name of an NFL owner is thanks to Kraft spearheading an all-billionaire push to expel rapper Macklemore from Sheeran’s tour after the “Thrift Shop” singer made pro-Palestinian remarks as opener for Sheeran’s show at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium earlier this month. That made the 85-year-old billionaire fair game, as Magliano introduced a photo of Kraft “seen here, picking a coffin,” while Young added details about Kraft’s beyond sordid associations with Jeffrey Epstein. Noting that it was one of Epstein’s lawyers who was hired to spring Kraft for his 2019 charge of soliciting prostitution, Young explained, “but not wanting to be associated with the evil dead guy, Epstein had himself killed.”
Meanwhile Sheeran—who just wants everybody to close their eyes and sway to inoffensive pop songs—has received equal if not greater scorn (and tour-imperiling protests, band resignations and cancellations) by not standing up for his opener’s free speech about an ongoing genocide, and for issuing a statement saying nothing while infuriating everyone. Magliano, noting over a picture of Sheeran and Macklemore in happier times, “This week the Israel-Palestine conflict just got serious,” called the furor “the worst thing to happen to Ed Sheeran fans since their head injury.” Young piled on, noting with seeming both-sidesism himself that Sheeran has long been a supporter of Ukraine, before landing the knockout blow, “Say what you want about Ed, but he’s always been a passionate advocate of causes that are allowed.”
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