Ed Sheeran has been branded 'ignorant' by social media users after a resurfaced podcast clip showed him discussing British drinking culture. The 35-year-old singer appeared on Theo Von's podcast, where he contrasted drinking habits in the UK and US, leading to accusations of defending 'functional alcoholism'.
Resurfaced clip goes viral
The clip, which has garnered over one million views on X, shows Sheeran saying that in England, 'it's not alcoholism to drink every day,' whereas in America, 'if you drank every day, it'd be alcoholism.' He described having 'one or two pints at the end of a workday' as regular, and on Fridays, 'six pints, a bottle of wine, you'll go out and do the shots.'
'I'm generalising, not everyone loves drinking,' Sheeran prefaced. 'But I would say, like, 80% of people in England love a beer.' He argued that drinking is 'just part of the culture' and not necessarily alcoholism.
Social media backlash
Many users criticized Sheeran's comments. @civil_savage86 called him 'ignorant', explaining that alcoholism is defined by interference with life aspects, not frequency. @Skeezyy77 said, 'Calling an addiction “culture” is crazy,' while @fidgetsfive wrote, 'That’s called functional alcoholism.'
@GaryMorton91799 from Canada noted that '6 pints and a bottle of wine could raise blood alcohol to as much as 0.40%+,' risking blackout and alcohol poisoning. @wck47l shared a personal story: 'My ex-husband became a chronic, violent alcoholic who drank himself to death. He started out saying something similar.'
British defenders and Piers Morgan weigh in
Some Brits defended Sheeran, with Piers Morgan tweeting, 'We Brits just have a stronger constitution than Americans, @edsheeran – ironically.' Others argued that Sheeran was describing 'London drinking culture' specifically.
Sheeran's history with alcohol
Sheeran has been open about his past drinking. He previously told Apple Music's Zane Lowe that he 'loved drinking' and consumed up to 10 pints a night. However, he changed his habits before fatherhood after his wife Cherry Seaborn said, 'If my waters break, do you really want someone else to drive me to the hospital?' Sheeran said he never wanted to be drunk holding his child.
In a Rolling Stone interview, he stated, 'Having a couple of beers is one thing. But having a bottle of vodka is another thing.' He also addressed drug use after his friend Jamal Edwards died from cocaine and alcohol-related cardiac arrest in 2022.
Health guidelines and legal drinking ages
The NHS advises men and women not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week on a regular basis. The legal drinking age is 18 in the UK, 21 in the US, and varies by province in Canada.
If you're worried about your own or someone else's drinking, the NHS recommends calling Drinkline at 0300 123 1110 or using Alcoholics Anonymous.
