Ed Sheeran Breaks Silence on ‘Game of Thrones’ Cameo Backlash

Ed Sheeran’s season 7 cameo on Game of Thrones didn’t go over so well with fans who felt like the “A-Team” singer was a bit out of place in the storyline. Now that it’s been two years since the show ended, he’s finally speaking out on his feelings from the backlash. Sheeran appeared on the latest episode of Dax Shephard’s Armchair Expert podcast, where he reveals he didn’t exactly get to live in all of his excitement after the premiere. “I feel like people’s reaction to it sort of muddied my joy to it,” he told the host. 

Viewers responded almost immediately to the episode with much surprise seeing Sheeran in medieval times, as he played a Lannister soldier singing a tune in the woods. Most of the fans thought the appearance took away from the overall plot of the episode. “Was half thinking of getting back into watching GoT but I just saw that ed sheeran sings in the new episode so nah buddy, thanks,” someone wrote at the time. Another said: “Why did they put Ed Sheeran in GoT… it feels less authentic and cheap.” A third person added: “With the addition of Ed Sheeran, can we now officially say that #GameOfThrones has jumped the shark?”

Why did they put Ed Sheeran in GoT… it feels less authentic and cheap 😡

— james (@jamesjoyce_ie) July 17, 2017

Sheeran continued, saying that he originally decided to join the show for the episode because he wanted to surprise his good friend Maisie Williams on the production set. “She’s always been awesome,” the singer said of Maisie. “I don’t think they had written the ending yet. It was meant to be her last season but it wasn’t. And as a surprise for her, [they got] me on. So, she was meant to turn up on set and I was by the fire.”

Prior to his appearance, fans were made aware that he would be briefly popping in on the show. Sheeran teased his character saying “I do know which role I am going to play. I don’t die in it, I don’t die,” he joked. “I’m only in it for like five minutes. I’d probably prefer to have sex than die in the show. I’m sure a lot of people are into that but I’m not.”