Career crisis: Ed Sheeran faces boycott calls as his public image takes a beating

Ed Sheeran faces boycott calls and desertions, leaving the British singer with a career crisis that underlines how even the world's biggest stars are being sucked into the politics of the war in Gaza.

Ahead of his next scheduled concert on Saturday, the Shape Of You pop icon has spent a week scrambling to save his Loop Tour and his public image as criticism rained down from peers and social media users.

The 35-year-old's problems began with rapper friend Macklemore, who spoke in favour of Palestinian rights and "free Palestine" while serving as a warm-up act for Sheeran at concerts in the New Jersey MetLife stadium on Sept 4 and 5.

When Macklemore was dropped from subsequent concerts -- under pressure from US stadium owners, including billionaire Robert Kraft -- Sheeran came under fire.