LAURA Kuenssberg has been blasted for making "staggering" and "ignorant" comments regarding the fallout over Ed Sheeran's stance on Palestine.
On the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, the journalist questioned whether it was appropriate for musicians and cultural figures to take public positions on "controversial" and "complicated" issues such as Israel and Gaza.
It comes after Sheeran faced widespread backlash after rapper Macklemore was dropped as a support act on his US tour after making pro-Palestine comments.
Sheeran responded by saying he would choose not to talk publicly about Israel's brutal bombardment of Gaza – which the UN has determined amounts to genocide – causing the rest of his support acts and his band to drop out of the rest of the tour .
The English singer took to the stage in Philadelphia on Saturday for a solo performance, in which he apologised for making "mistakes" and said "what is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate".
Kuenssberg asked the panel: "Is it for people who are singers, songwriters, artists to be taking public positions on very, very controversial, difficult, complicated issues?"
Laura Kuenssberg: "Is it for people who are singers, songwriters, artists to be taking public positions on very very controversial, difficult, complicated issues" THE most stupid, ridiculous, uninformed, ignorant question I have ever heard. #BBCLauraK pic.twitter.com/f0coMFyIuK
— Darren Parkinson 🌍💚🤘 (@DarrenBar88) September 20, 2026
The comments sparked fury on social media, with many pointing out that music has historically been used as a form of protest.
Poet Michael Rosen said: "No singers ever opposed the Vietnam War, sang about poverty, oppression, exploitation, war, strikes, deportations, racism, false imprisonment. Guthrie, Dylan, Baez, Scott-Heron, the Specials, Tracy Chapman, Billie Holliday ... don't exist."
Meanwhile, National contributor Gerry Hassan branded Kuenssberg's statement "staggering".
"It indicates that she has next to no understanding of popular music and culture in the UK or anywhere," Hassan said.
"Has she never heard of any of the great protest songs and artists commenting on some of the big issues of their times?"
And Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, said: "Some of the most powerful music ever written and performed has been for the sake of justice and against inhumanity."
Other social media users also questioned Kuenssberg's position, with one branding it "the most stupid, ridiculous, uninformed, ignorant question I have ever heard".
Another user wrote: "Genocide is only a complicated issue if you don't oppose genocide".
The BBC was approached for comment.
