Ed Sheeran explains the backlash to his “Game of Thrones” cameo: 'I just get s--- on for things'
Ed Sheeran explains the backlash to his “Game of Thrones” cameo: 'I just get s--- on for things'
Ryan ColemanWed, March 11, 2026 at 10:25 PM UTC
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Ed Sheeran in 'Game of Thrones' season 7, episode 1Credit: GameofThrones/YouTube
Ed Sheeran looks back on his controversial Game of Thrones cameo with disappointment, but not surprise.
"I feel like I definitely ruffled some feathers being on Game of Thrones," he reflected on Wednesday's episode of Benny Blanco's new Friends Keep Secrets podcast.
Sheeran's brief appearance on the gritty fantasy series' season 7 opener stoked a heated cycle of online discourse — despite the fact that by 2017, many musicians had made similar cameos to relatively little fanfare. Now with the benefit of nearly a decade of hindsight, Sheeran thinks he knows what really went down.
"What I said is, 'People love that show. If anyone gets asked to be in that show, it's an instant yes,'" Sheeran reflected. "I said yes. I enjoyed doing it."
But why the pushback?
Coldplay drummer Will Champion in 'Game of Thrones' season 3, episode 9Credit: HBO Max
"Members of Coldplay [were] at the Red Wedding. [Gary Lightbody] from Snow Patrol's in there. Chris Stapleton's in it as like a White Walker," Sheeran pointed out to Blanco and cohosts Dave "Lil Dicky" Burd and Kristin Batalucco,
Sheeran identified two primary reasons why his brief appearance as a Lannister soldier singing beside a campfire annoyed some fans — and even some critics.
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"I think at the time I was very omnipresent and just everywhere. So, I think it was quite jarring," he said. But he also explained that debacles like those "happen quite a lot in my career. I just get s--- on for things."
It wasn't just Chris Stapleton and members of Coldplay and Snow Patrol who walked Westeros before Sheeran. The series had practically become Coachella by the time the penultimate season rolled around, with members of Sigur Rós, Of Monsters and Men, and Mastodon all turning up as soldiers or merchants or, most often, musicians.
But Sheeran was indeed at the peak of his fame when he appeared in the episode "Dragonstone" in July 2017. He'd released his biggest album to date, Divide, just four months before, and its massive lead single, "Shape of You," was everywhere.
Ed Sheeran in Boston in December 2025Credit: Paras Griffin/Getty
The English musician explained on a 2021 episode of the Armchair Expert podcast that his cameo was actually meant as a gift to GOT actress Maisie Williams, who was a fan of Sheeran's music.
Sophie Turner accidentally spoiled the surprise by divulging the cameo casting news at Comic-Con that year — while seated next to Williams. But Sheeran said he was still able to enjoy the production experience, however "muddied" the memory became amid the backlash that followed.
You can watch Ed Sheeran's full appearance on Blanco's Friends Keep Secrets podcast above.
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