Ed Sheeran's cousin doubles-down on scathing attack and says he believes singer booted Macklemore from tour

Ed Sheeran’s cousin has doubled-down on his scathing takedown of the singer branding him a ‘lying coward’ and that he believes he booted Macklemore off the tour.

The Shape of You singer has found himself at the centre of a firestorm this month after Macklemore was ditched from the remainder of his Loop Tour due to pro-Palestine comments he made on stage.

The US rapper said that he had been dropped from the tour after Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft issued an ‘ultimatum’.

Shortly after, Sheeran issued his own statement, in which he said the decision to remove Macklemore hadn’t been made by him but was down to the tour’s promoter instead.

However, now Sheeran’s cousin Jethro has weighed in on the ongoing controversy in a new interview.

Jethro Sheeran has issued some harsh words about his famous cousin (Facebook)

In a promotional clip for an upcoming episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored, Jethro said: “Seeing what he did to Macklemore, I believe that he kicked him off that show, as I’ve witnessed him being a coward for almost 10 years and lying.”

When Morgan suggested that some folks might think Jethro, 44, is jealous of his super-famous cousin, he said that wasn’t the case and stressed that he wished him the best.

“He’s very talented and people think I’m jealous, but jealous of what? His looks, his guitar? I mean, I don’t hate him at all. I wish him the best,” he explained.

Jethro’s latest comments come just days after he posted a blistering attack on his cousin on social media.

In a post on Facebook, he wrote: “Finally it’s all coming out! I’m ashamed of my cousin Ed and what he’s done.

“Finally the world and all his fans see through him. He’s not a good person, I don’t like his music so I can’t say he’s even a good artist.

“Ed Sheeran! He is shady and he’s dropped Macklemore himself I believe 100 per cent he’s a coward.

“In my opinion he’s a bad human. Just my opinion from my experiences.”

Jethro decision to speak out against his cousin, came as Sheeran claimed his family had ‘abandoned’ him amid the ongoing controversy.

At the weekend, Sheeran made his first appearance on the Loop Tour since it was thrown into chaos and became tearful as he addressed the situation on stage.

Ed Sheeran became emotional while addressing the controversy on stage (X)

Speaking to the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, he said: “I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes and I’m so, so sorry for them.

“I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet.”

Sheeran then spoke about the toll the situation has taken on him, telling fans that he worried the tour may not continue and that he felt his loved ones had ‘abandoned’ him.

“I really didn't know whether this tour would be carrying on,” he continued.

“In these situations, you really find out who your friends are and it's been a weird week. I just feel like it happened very quickly.

“In the back of my mind, I saw the ticket sales for this gig and I didn't see cancellations, I saw people buying tickets for this gig.

“Everyone's telling me to cancel and I'm feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me.”