Ed Sheeran’s comments about alcoholism have exploded online after a resurfaced podcast clip sent the singer trending on X.
The 35-year-old star faced a wave of criticism after his old chat with US comedian Theo Von racked up more than one million views. Many viewers accused him of downplaying addiction while talking about British drinking culture.
Ed opened with a caveat. He said: “I’m generalising, not everyone loves drinking. But I would say, like, 80% of people in England love a beer.”
He compared nights out in the US and the UK. He claimed many Americans go to bars “with the sole purpose to be dribbly drunk by the end of the night, taken home in an Uber”.
By contrast, Ed said drinking in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales often feels routine. “It’s a regular thing, with my friendship group anyway, to have maybe one or two pints at the end of a workday,” he said.
He added: “And then maybe on a Friday you’ll have, like, six pints, a bottle of wine, you’ll go out and do the shots… but it’s far more just part of the culture to do it regularly.”
Why Ed Sheeran’s comments about alcoholism have caused uproar
The biggest flashpoint came when Ed argued that daily drinking in England should not automatically carry the same label as it might in the US.
He said: “But it’s not alcoholism – it’s the culture, I should say.” He added: “It’s not like I wake up every morning like, ‘I need a beer tonight.’”
Ed also pushed back on stereotypes about Ireland. “We can have a good time, and it’s the same in England, but it’s just the culture,” he said.
He then said: “We drink from a very young age – irresponsibly or responsibly – I had my first beer when I was, like, 12, 13. And you learn how to manage your alcohol by the age of 16.”
That did not go down well with everyone. One critic called him “ignorant”.
Another wrote: “Calling an addiction ‘culture’ is crazy.”
Another chimed in: “Ed is talking nonsense.”
“The drinking culture here is a problem,” added a third.
A fourth agreed, commenting: “Alcohol abuse is a real thing. Even if it doesn’t meet the clinical definition of alcoholism. I love a pint, but Britain might have a problem.”
His old drinking confessions only added fuel
As the Ed Sheeran alcoholism debate grew, some Brits backed the singer. They argued he was simply describing a familiar London pub culture.
Piers Morgan also weighed in. He joked: “We Brits just have a stronger constitution than Americans, @edsheeran – ironically.”
The backlash also revived Ed’s own past comments about alcohol. He has previously admitted he once drank heavily and said he was consuming up to 10 pints a night.
Ed is in hot water (Credit: Fred Duval / SplashNews.com)
He later changed his lifestyle before becoming a father. Ed shares daughters Lyra and Jupiter with his wife Cherry Seaborn.
Speaking last year, he recalled Cherry asking him: “If my waters break, do you really want someone else to drive me to the hospital?”
That question made him rethink his drinking. He said: “No, actually, I really don’t. And I don’t ever want to be p***ed holding my kid. Ever, ever.”
Still, he has made clear he does not plan lifelong sobriety. “Having a couple of beers is one thing. But having a bottle of vodka is another thing,” he said.
He also said: “I love red wine, and I love beer. I don’t know any old rockers that aren’t alcoholics or sober, and I didn’t want to be either.”
The wider row has now split opinion online. Some say Ed described a real cultural difference. Others insist his comments risk normalising unhealthy drinking habits.
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