Singer Paloma Faith has revealed that she tells her children “Free Palestine” every night, while criticising Ed Sheeran for refusing to publicly take a position on the Gaza War.
Speaking on Channel 4’s Fourcast podcast, the 44-year-old British star said she was particularly upset by Sheeran’s explanation that he avoided political statements because his audience included “young people, often children, of all backgrounds”.
“That comment I don’t like,” Faith said. “There are so many children in Palestine that are faced with unimaginable things and shouldn’t be.
“I say free Palestine to my children every night. I think children should be exposed to politics.
“Being apolitical is a political act in itself. You cannot remain apolitical when people are seeing the images day-to-day.”
Faith was speaking after US rapper Macklemore was removed from Sheeran’s Loop tour following pro-Palestinian comments made during a performance at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
Macklemore said he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten, while Sheeran subsequently said the decision to remove him had been made by the tour promoter, not him, while stressing that he had “his own views” on the conflict but wanted his concerts to be an inclusive space for everyone.
All of the remaining support acts on the US tour have since withdrawn. Irish folk band Beoga, which collaborated with Sheeran on his hit Galway Girl, was among those to pull out.
Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of Gillette Stadium, which was among the venues threatening to cancel shows if Macklemore remained on the bill, accused the rapper of having a “broader history of antisemitic rhetoric”, referring to resurfaced images of him wearing a fake hooked nose, black wig and beard.
Macklemore has denied being antisemitic, insisting that the costume was designed to allow him to enter the venue for a surprise gig unnoticed and was not intended to have any stereotypical connotation.
Faith defended him during her interview, saying: “I would take his word for it that he’s not antisemitic.”
Faith is a longstanding campaigner for Palestinian causes. In 2024, she signed an Oxfam letter calling for an end to UK arms exports to Israel and performed at a benefit concert for Medical Aid for Palestinians alongside anti-Israel music artists Kneecap and Lowkey.
In March 2025, she addressed a protest over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, describing the situation as “genocide”.
The London-born singer rose to fame with her 2009 debut album Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? and has since released six studio albums, winning the BRIT Award for British Female Solo Artist in 2015. She has also appeared as a judge on The Voice UK and as an actress.
To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.