Ed Sheeran has addressed the backlash to his infamous Game of Thrones cameo which came back in 2017.
The singer-songwriter played a Lannister soldier serenading troops around a campfire in the seventh season of the HBO drama, performing opposite star Maisie Williams.
The reaction from fans was mixed to say the least, with viewers saying that his appearance removed them from action and wasn’t as seamless as other cameos from the series.
‘I feel like people’s reaction to it sort of muddied my joy to it,’ Ed told Armchair Expert podcast host Dax Shepard, describing it as ‘bittersweet’.
He added to Absolute radio: ‘I feel like I p***ed off a lot of people by being in that, but anytime I meet someone that is like, “O you cameoed on that show”’ I’m like, “What would you say?”’
‘Everyone would say yes. I was a fan of the show; they asked me to be in it. I didn’t expect there to be that much backlash but I am definitely more careful when I am offered cameos now.’
Co-showrunner David Benioff explained at the time: ‘We knew that Maisie was a big fan of Ed Sheeran, and for years we’ve been trying to get him on the show so we can surprise Maisie. This year we finally did it.’
The backlash hasn’t stopped Ed making other cameos in his time, having also appeared as himself in shows and films like the 2019 film Yesterday, Home and Away, and Bridget Jones’s Baby.
It comes after Game of Thrones star Gemma Whelan spoke about her experiences on the set of the hit HBO drama, describing the sex scenes as a ‘frenzied mess’.
Meanwhile, she’s impressed judges and viewers alike on Strictly Come Dancing so far, and now singer Ed has tipped actress Rose Ayling-Ellis to win this year’s series.
Game of Thrones is available to stream on NOW.
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