Ed Sheeran loses nearly half a million followers as Macklemore row hits US tour

Ed Sheeran has lost nearly 500,000 Instagram followers over the past week, according to figures from Social Blade, amid the controversy surrounding Macklemore's removal from Sheeran's Loop tour.

The decline began on September 15, the day Sheeran addressed Macklemore's departure. Social Blade figures show Sheeran's account lost close to 150,000 followers that day, followed by another significant drop the next day and around 98,000 the day after. The losses continued through the weekend, when Sheeran returned to the stage in Philadelphia and addressed the controversy. By September 23, his follower count stood at about 47.2 million.

How the row started

The controversy followed Sheeran's shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. During the September 4 and 5 dates, Macklemore spoke in support of Palestinians and telling the audience that people in Gaza had not been forgotten. He also performed Hind's Hall, his song about pro-Palestinian student protesters at Columbia.

The remarks drew criticism and the Israeli American Council launched a petition calling for Macklemore to be removed from the remaining dates of the tour.

Macklemore was subsequently removed from the remaining US dates. He has said that Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, spoke with Sheeran about the rapper's participation and that other stadium owners also objected to Macklemore remaining on the tour.

Sheeran has disputed responsibility for the decision. In a September 15 statement, he said removing Macklemore was the tour promoter's decision and said venues had indicated they would not host the shows if Macklemore remained. Sheeran also said that his decision not to speak publicly about the conflict did not mean he did not have personal views or did not care.

Who left the tour

Several artists connected to the tour announced their departures on September 15, including Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Sheeran's backing band Beoga.

• Finneas, who was due to perform on the South American leg, said he was withdrawing and expressed support for Palestinians, arguing that artists should be able to speak about oppression.

• Aaron Rowe, who was booked for several North American dates, said Sheeran was a friend who had changed his life but that he felt he had to speak out in support of Palestinians.

• Beoga, Sheeran's long-time collaborators, also withdrew from the US leg and said they supported Macklemore's message.

• Lukas Graham also pulled out, saying that wealth should not determine who gets to speak or which suffering can be acknowledged.

The controversy also drew comments from other artists. Charlotte Church criticised Sheeran's handling of the situation, while Sting described it as a "difficult dilemma" without directly condemning him.

Sheeran addresses the controversy on stage

Sheeran returned to the stage in Philadelphia on September 19, amid protests outside the venue and calls for a boycott of his tour. He addressed the controversy at the start of the concert, apologising for mistakes and speaking publicly about his views on the conflict for the first time since the row began.

The controversy has continued as Sheeran's North American tour moves forward. The US leg is scheduled to conclude on November 7 at Raymond James Stadium, followed by dates in South America in November and December.