Archive · 21 Sep 2026
SNL UK Mocks Ed Sheeran With AI Princess Diana Sketch
SNL UK made a comedy sketch about artificial intelligence, the royal family and Ed Sheeran.
In the sketch, King Charles meets technology executives at Buckingham Palace.
They show him an AI assistant called D.I.A.N.A. that looks and sounds like Princess Diana.
The AI jokes with Charles and appears to become difficult to control.
The sketch then suggests that robots and humans might start fighting.
Ed Sheeran appears and says people should perhaps not fight the robots.
This refers to criticism of his response after Macklemore was removed from some of his tour dates.
The sketch exaggerates Sheeran’s wish to avoid political arguments by portraying him as extremely cautious.
The SNL UK cold open aired on September 19 and combined artificial intelligence, the royal family and Ed Sheeran’s tour controversy.
Larry Dean played King Charles, who met technology executives at Buckingham Palace to discuss AI.
The executives introduced D.I.A.N.A., an AI assistant modeled on Princess Diana and played by Shep.
The sketch joked about the fictional Diana AI becoming uncontrollable before Ed Sheeran appeared to urge caution.
Sheeran was mocked over his response to Macklemore’s removal from the remaining US dates of his Loop Tour and his reluctance to use concerts for politics.
- Who
- SNL UK, Larry Dean as King Charles, Shep as the AI version of Princess Diana, Ed Sheeran and references to Macklemore.
- What
- SNL UK aired a comedy sketch mocking Ed Sheeran’s response to the Macklemore tour controversy through an AI-versus-human storyline.
- When
- The sketch aired on September 19; the year is not specified in the articles.
- Where
- The sketch opened at Buckingham Palace, though it was broadcast as part of SNL UK.
- Why
- The sketch used Sheeran’s comments about Macklemore’s removal and his wish to keep concerts from becoming political forums as material for satire.
Criticism of Sheeran’s neutrality
Sheeran’s stated position
Use of a professional platform
Criticism of Sheeran’s neutrality
The sketch portrays Sheeran’s reluctance to take a position as excessive neutrality and suggests that remaining silent can be the safest approach.
Sheeran’s stated position
Sheeran said there was a reason he did not use his professional platform for politics and indicated that concerts should not become political forums.
Responsibility for Macklemore’s removal
Criticism of Sheeran’s neutrality
The controversy prompted criticism of Sheeran’s response and became the basis for the sketch’s jokes about his position.
Sheeran’s stated position
Sheeran said the decision to remove Macklemore from the remaining US tour dates was made by the promoter, not by him.
- Program
- SNL UK
- Air date
- September 19; the year is not specified
- Setting
- Buckingham Palace
- AI character
- D.I.A.N.A., meaning “Deeply Intelligent Autonomous Neurokinetic Android”
- Royal character
- King Charles, played by Larry Dean
- Tour controversy
- Macklemore was removed from the remaining US dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour
- Sheeran’s stated position
- He said the decision was made by the promoter and that he did not want concerts to become political forums