Ed Sheeran says he’s more careful about cameos after notorious Game of Thrones appearance

Ed Sheeran has revealed he is “more careful” about agreeing to TV and film cameos, following a backlash he received after appearing on Game of Thrones in 2017.

The singer-songwriter, who just released his fourth album = (Equals), played a Lannister soldier in season seven of the hit HBO fantasy series, opposite series regular Maisie Williams as Arya Stark.

However, many fans complained that Sheeran’s presence was so glaring that it disrupted the episode, where previous cameos by Coldplay and Snow Patrol bandmembers had been considerably more subtle.

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.”

Appearing on Absolute Radio this morning ( Monday 1 November), Sheeran said his Game of Thrones appearance was “bittersweet”.

“I feel like I pissed off a lot of people by being in that, but anytime I meet someone that is like, ‘oh you cameoed on that show,’ I’m like, ‘What would you say?’” he said.

“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.”

Sheeran has made various appearances as himself in other TV shows and films, including Danny Boyle’s 2019 romantic comedy Yesterday, Australian soap Home and Away, and Bridget Jones’s Baby in 2016.

Read The Independent’s review of his new album here.