Johnny McDaid breaks silence on Ed Sheeran amid Macklemore tour controversy

Ed Sheeran has received backing from fellow musician Snow Patrol's Johnny McDaid amid the ongoing controversy surrounding his US tour.

The Shape Of You singer, 35, has faced criticism after apologising to fans over his handling of a controversy involving Israel and Palestine, which has disrupted his tour.

Macklemore was subsequently removed from the remaining US dates of Sheeran's tour after venues reportedly objected to his participation.

READ MORE: Ed Sheeran's friend Jordan Stephens says 'everytime he speaks, it gets worse'

On September 14, rapper Macklemore announced that, following a week of 'difficult conversations' with Sheeran, he had been dropped from the tour.

Now, Snow Patrol has heaped praise on Sheeran, talking about his 'rare combination of genius and integrity' at the 2026 BMI London Awards.

Receiving the BMI President's Award, Johnny said: 'One of the people who's taught me most about myself as a writer and as a human is Ed Sheeran...'

Johnny, who co-wrote Sheeran's Grammy-winning Shape of You, continued: 'I met Ed when he was 20 years old and we have become more than best friends.

'We are more than best friends, he's my brother, closer than blood and I love him.

'And when you stand alongside a heart like his and get to know it from the inside out, you realise how rare that combination of genius and integrity is.'

Ed is currently facing the biggest backlash of his career after Macklemore was dropped from his Loop Tour.

It comes after Ed's longtime friend Jordan Stephens criticised the singer over his handling of the Macklemore row, saying, 'everytime he speaks it gets worse.'