Ed Sheeran Is the Target of a Side Joke in Martin Short’s Roast of Conan O’Brien

Martin Short compared Conan O’Brien to Ed Sheeran while introducing his guest appearance on O’Brien’s podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. The episode was posted Monday (Oct. 19).

The Only Murders in the Building star opened with a string of insults aimed at his friend, all in good fun. Recalling a recent dinner together, Short told the former late-night host: “That night, I thought, ‘He looks like the love child between Lurch and Kathy Griffin.'”

“Because, you know, you’re pale,” Short continued as O’Brien laughed. “You look like a Q-tip with ketchup on it.”

The Father of the Bride actor then brought in the British pop star. “You look like Ed Sheeran in a fun-house mirror,” Short said, referring to the ginger hair O’Brien and Sheeran share and their very different heights. O’Brien is known for being 6’4″, while Sheeran is reportedly around 5’8″.

Sheeran appeared on O’Brien’s podcast in 2023. The two bonded at the time over being redheads, comparing notes on how other kids treated them in school.

Sheeran is currently on a stadium tour that began in January and has dates scheduled through mid-December. The U.S. leg recently drew controversy when Sheeran’s promoter dropped Macklemore as an opener, responding to pressure from venue owners unhappy with the rapper’s onstage “Free Palestine” protests.

Short’s introduction is in the video below.

Source: Billboard