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TV chef and former Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain appears to have backed claims that Ed Sheeran was shedding 'white tears' and making himself 'the victim' after the singer broke down on stage during his troubled US tour.
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singer → see → tour
The British singer, 35, has faced a backlash after support act Macklemore was dropped from several shows following complaints from stadium owners over the rapper's outspoken support for Palestine.
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Macklemore → face → Palestine
During his past two concerts, Sheeran appeared bereft as he insisted his shows were 'not political' amid the Israel-Gaza controversy that has overshadowed parts of his tour.
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that → appear → tour
Speaking to fans in Philadelphia, he said he was unsure whether upcoming dates would go ahead and was devastated as he told thousands in the crowd that his family had 'abandoned' him and that he had 'found out who his friends are'.
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friends → speak → him
Hussain, a devout Muslim, has now shared a video with her one million Instagram followers alleging that Sheeran's tears were an example of 'white tears'.
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tears → share → tears
The video claimed: 'If the tears of Palestinians and Black, Brown and Indigenous communities carried as much gravity, genocide would not happen.'
'White tears' is a political term used by some activists and commentators to describe situations where a white person's emotional response is seen as drawing attention away from racism or oppression.
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response → claim → racism
The video shared by Hussain, who did not add any comment of her own, featured British therapist Megan Cooper saying: 'We're all waking up to Ed Sheeran's statement on stage, and I'm not going to go into what he said, but I do want to focus on one specific point.
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I → share → point
For those of us in white bodies, we need to understand and educate ourselves on white tears.
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we → need → tears
'White tears [are] a cultural tactic using emotion, consciously or unconsciously, to deflect accountability, to gain sympathy, and to centre self in conflict and challenge, particularly during discussions around racism and oppression.'
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tears → use → racism
Ms Cooper added that in this case, 'not only does emotion meet whiteness, but it also meets patriarchy.
'
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it → add → patriarchy
The Mail has approached Ms Hussain for comment.
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Mail → approach → comment
Nadiya Hussain appears to have backed claims that Ed Sheeran was shedding 'white tears' after the singer broke down on stage during his troubled US tour.
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singer → appear → tour
A visibly emotional Ed Sheeran teared up on stage last night as he apologised for his handling of the Israel controversy that has engulfed his new tour
Ed Sheeran fought to hold back tears on stage last night as he apologised to fans for his handling of the controversy that has threatened to wreck his tour.
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that → tear → tour
He told fans in Philadelphia he wasn't sure if upcoming dates would go ahead amid the backlash and threats of a boycott against the decision to drop opener Macklemore over the rapper's support for Palestine.
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dates → tell → Palestine
Sheeran said he had 'found out who his friends are', adding: 'I cannot hide how I feel... any more.'
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I → say → ?
The singer admitted to making 'mistakes' in his handling of the situation and backtracked on his previous vow not to bring politics to his show as he called the situation in Gaza 'catastrophic and unjustifiable' and Hamas's October 7 attacks 'horrific'.
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attacks → admit → Gaza
In his first stage appearance since the Loop tour was plunged into turmoil, the 35-year-old father of two said he 'never wanted to be an activist musician' but the fierce criticism meant he has had to 'take and make difficult decisions'.
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he → plunge → decisions
He said: 'I really didn't know whether this tour would be carrying on.
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tour → say → ?
In these situations, you really find out who your friends are and it's been a weird week.
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it → find → situations
I just feel like it happened very quickly.
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it → feel → ?
In the back of my mind, I saw the ticket sales for this gig and I didn't see cancellations, I saw people buying tickets for this gig.
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people → see → gig
'Everyone's telling me to cancel and I'm feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me.
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I → tell → me
I look at the end of the week and I see 50,000 people who haven't abandoned me.
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who → look → me
People will say what they want, but I am doing this for you.
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I → say → you
I love you.
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I → love → you
I love this.'
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I → love → this
Sheeran said his heart had been broken 'by the scale of devastation and loss of lives' and became emotional as he told a cheering crowd: 'I'm so grateful you are here with me tonight.'
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you → say → me
He apologised and became visibly emotional again at the end of the show for bringing politics to his concert – something he had vowed not to do.
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he → apologise → concert
Sheeran said at the end of the night: 'The one thing that I would like to apologise for is the first bit of the show where it wasn't about music and I had to talk.
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I → say → music
The video shared by Hussain, who did not add any comment of her own, featured therapist Megan Cooper who spoke of white tears
Sheeran returned to the stage in Philadelphia on Saturday night for the first time since 43-year-old Macklemore, real name Benjamin Haggerty, was axed from the tour (pictured together in 2013)
'
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Macklemore → share → 2013
I understand that people have children here and I understand that families didn't buy a ticket to hear that first bit of the show, but that was something I felt like I needed to say.'
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I → understand → show
Sheeran had previously said that 'those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum'.
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who → say → forum
The gig at the Lincoln Financial Field marked the first time the star returned to the stage since the rapper Macklemore was dropped as his opening act after taking a vocal stance in favour of a 'Free Palestine'.
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rapper → mark → Palestine
In a solemn speech at the start of the concert, Sheeran said: 'I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind because I want my music and shows to be about unity and not division, about humanity and not politics.
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music → say → humanity
But this is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.'
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I → hide → it
'What happened in Israel at Nova music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain.
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happened → happen → pain
'What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate,' Sheeran said in a video captured and shared online by a concertgoer.
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Sheeran → happen → concertgoer
'My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians' lives, of children's lives, and the systemic injustice we're seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked,' he declared.
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he → break → Bank
Sheeran told the audience that he plans to 'continue my current tour' despite each of his openers dropping out in solidarity with Macklemore.
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each → tell → Macklemore
Activists demanded freedom for Palestine as they gathered outside of Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday night
By the end of the show, Sheeran broke down into tears, telling fans: 'I'm so grateful.
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I → demand → fans
…and 31 more, not listed.
The Aporia
