Ed Sheeran Slams 2005 Episode of ‘South Park’ After It ‘Ruined’ His Life
These days, it might be difficult to imagine Ed Sheeran being anything other than universally beloved. The best-selling musician burst onto the music scene in 2011 and hasn’t let up since. In addition to having chart-climbing hits and a worldwide following, Sheeran has also endeared himself to fans with impressive collaborations and even a Game of Thrones cameo.
Despite his popularity, Sheeran admits that he didn’t always have it so easy. He has pointed a finger at an unlikely source for his problems: South Park.
Ed Sheeran was born in Halifax, England
Sheeran was born in 1991 in Halifax, England. Born into an artistic family, Sheeran grew up in the small town of Framlingham in Suffolk, England with his art curator father and jewelry maker mother. The jet-setter has performed across the globe with plenty of fans in the United States, but he still calls England home.
His hometown charm extends to the adorable story of meeting his now-wife. As Brides.com reports, Sheeran met Cherry Seaborn in elementary school at the tender age of 11. While the two have settled close to home, they actually met back up and sparked a romance across the pond. Sheeran was on tour in the United States and Seaborn was living in Manhattan. Their paths crossed, and the rest — as they say — is history.
Sheeran and Seaborn welcomed a baby girl in 2020. While the couple has been famously quiet about their personal lives, fans are eager to find out if their daughter shares Sheeran’s flaming locks.
Ed Sheeran blames a 2005 ‘South Park’ episode for causing global ridicule
While fans clamor to find out if Sheeran’s little girl shares his striking red hair, Sheeran has opened up about how being a “ginger” hasn’t always been a great experience. Getting mocked for being a redhead was commonplace for Sheeran as a kid. As Insider reports, Sheeran said, “Having red hair in England was always a thing that people took the piss out of you for.”
He thought he would get a reprieve from the mockery when he headed to America. “But it was never something in America. People never knew what a ginger was in America,” Sheeran explained. That all changed, however, with an episode of South Park.
The 2005 episode was titled “Ginger Kids” and made mocking redheads a central theme. Prior to the show’s release, Sheeran enjoyed compliments on his hair from Americans. After it came out, though, the ridicule went “worldwide,” according to the singer. “That episode of South Park fu**ing ruined my life.”
‘South Park’ has faced plenty of criticism in its long run
Since its 1997 premiere, South Park has boldly drawn criticism for pushing the envelope on a range of topics. Over the years, they’ve drawn ire from plenty of different groups. One episode — which featured a bleeding Virgin Mary — even got pulled from Comedy Central.
They’ve managed to lampoon just about everyone over the years — from Muslims to the President of China. Raising people’s hackles and causing a stir has become part of the show’s general ethos. At this point, it’s more impressive that South Park can find something new that will still shock viewers. They’ve pushed things to the edge so many times that it’s hard to imagine them finding a topic that raises the stakes.
With that in mind, Sheeran’s memories of the spread of redhead mockery seem pretty tame. He’s just added himself to a long list of people who South Park has insulted in order to keep their show relevant and entertaining.
