Ed Sheeran has admitted appearing in Game Of Thrones was “bittersweet” after receiving a backlash to his cameo.
The singer popped up in the seventh series of the hit fantasy drama as a Lannister soldier who serenaded Maisie Williams’ character Arya Stark after meeting in the woods en route to King’s Landing.
The cameo was met with a decidedly mixed reaction from fans, with many claiming it was disrupting and took them out of the world of Westeros.
Ed’s appearance didn’t sit right with Hodor actor Kristian Nairn either, who spoke out publicly about the matter.
Addressing the reaction during an interview with Dave Berry on Absolute Radio, Ed said: “Game of Thrones was like bittersweet because I feel like I pissed off a lot of people by being in that, but anytime I meet someone that is like ‘oh you cameoed on that show’ I’m like what would you say? Like everyone would say yes. I was a fan of the show, they asked me to be in it.
“I didn’t expect there to be that much backlash but I am definitely like more careful when I am offered cameos now.”
![Ed Sheeran and Maisie Williams](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/617fd7ef240000f864508b97.jpeg?cache=AHhVfgEBqu&ops=scalefit_720_noupscale)
In an interview with HuffPost, Kristian Nairn told HuffPost: “I’m not a fan of the cameos in Game of Thrones. I don’t like them. I think it’s stupid. I don’t mind going on the record on that. I just think it takes you right out of the world. Especially Ed Sheeran.
“I was like, ‘Why is Ed Sheeran here?’ I mean, Ed Sheeran’s great. He’s a great guy, great musician, but why is he in Game of Thrones?”
He added: “I’m being tactful here, but just not a fan of the cameo. I think most people would agree with me there. It was a big snap to reality. It’s like, ‘What? What?’”
However, Ed was defended by Game Of Thrones director Jeremy Podeswa, who suggested that people were not willing to give him a chance.
There were previously reports that Ed left Twitter because of the reaction to the cameo, but he denied that was the case, saying he had always planned to abandon the platform and his cameo was “clearly fuckin’ awesome.”
He was reportedly cast in the show as a sweet surprise for Maisie Williams, who’s a fan.
Other stars who made cameos in Game Of Thrones include members of the metal group Mastodon and fellow bands Of Monsters and Men and Sigur Rós.
The Dave Berry Breakfast Show airs weekdays at 6am on Absolute Radio.