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“Saturday Night Live” Comes To Britain As “SNL U.K.” Unveils Its First-ever Cast

“Saturday Night Live” Comes To Britain As “SNL U.K.” Unveils Its First-ever Cast

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For the first time in its nearly 50-year history, “Saturday Night Live” is officially crossing the Atlantic, and it’s doing so with a distinctly British voice. Sky has unveiled the inaugural cast for Saturday Night Live U.K., marking a major moment for British comedy and late-night television. The live sketch series is set to premiere on March 21, airing weekly from London and promising a homegrown spin on the legendary NBC format that has shaped American pop culture since 1975.

While the U.S. version has launched the careers of comedy icons from Eddie Murphy to Tina Fey, the U.K. edition is taking a more contemporary route, spotlighting a new generation of comedians drawn from stand-up, theatre, panel shows, and the Edinburgh Fringe circuit.

Cast of Britain’s Saturday Night Live 

Rather than leaning on established household names, “SNL U.K.” is positioning itself as an ensemble-driven show. The cast includes rising performers such as Emma Sidi, Ania Magliano, Larry Dean, Ayoade Bamgboye, and Paddy Young, alongside several others from across the British comedy landscape.

The mix reflects the realities of modern U.K. comedy — where stand-up, sketch, theatre, and online performance increasingly overlap. Many of the performers have appeared on shows like Taskmaster, Live at the Apollo, and acclaimed BBC comedies, while others bring strong stage and improvisational backgrounds.

What stands out most is not fame, but range. The cast spans different comedic styles, regional voices, and performance disciplines, suggesting that SNL U.K. is aiming for versatility rather than instant recognizability.

A British Take on an American Institution

In structure, the show will feel familiar to longtime fans. Each episode will be written and rehearsed in the week leading up to broadcast, before being performed live in front of a studio audience. Episodes will feature an opening monologue, topical sketches, musical performances, and a U.K.-specific version of “Weekend Update.”

But Sky has been clear that this is not a carbon copy.

In a statement, lead producer James Longman described the show as “re-imagined through a distinctly British lens,” emphasizing that the U.K. comedy scene is currently overflowing with bold new voices.

“The chemistry between them is something special,” Longman said. “They’re exciting, fearless, and incredibly funny — exactly what this format needs.”

That chemistry will be crucial. Sketch comedy, especially live sketch comedy, thrives on ensemble trust and timing. For a first season, the success of “SNL U.K.” may hinge less on individual breakout stars and more on how well the cast functions as a collective.

Why Now?

Pete Davidson, left, with Colin Jost during a “Weekend Update” segment of “Saturday Night Live” | Photo: Will Heath/NBC

The arrival of “Saturday Night Live” in the U.K. comes at a time when British audiences are increasingly open to experimental formats. With panel shows dominating for years, there’s a renewed appetite for live, topical comedy that reacts to the week’s news in real time.

Sky executive Phil Edgar-Jones, Executive Director of Unscripted Originals, framed the launch as long overdue — half-jokingly noting that it’s arriving “only 50 short years” after the U.S. debut.

He also emphasized the show’s legacy as a talent incubator, pointing to creator Lorne Michaels, who will serve as executive producer on the U.K. version, ensuring continuity with the original while allowing room for reinvention.

The Pressure and the Opportunity on SNL UK Cast

Saturday Night Live is marking its 50th year with a weeklong celebration, including a blockbuster homecoming concert and a three-hour primetime special.
Photo: Justin Sutcliffe/AP

Adapting “Saturday Night Live” for a British audience is no small task. Previous attempts to replicate the format internationally have had mixed results, often stumbling over cultural differences in humor, pacing, and satire.

British comedy traditionally leans sharper, drier, and more character-driven than its American counterpart. If “SNL U.K.” succeeds, it will likely be because it embraces those differences rather than smoothing them out.

The decision to keep the cast relatively fresh suggests confidence in the format — and a willingness to let audiences discover new comedians in real time, just as American viewers once did.

A New Chapter for British Late-Night Comedy

When the familiar words “Live from London, it’s Saturday Night!” ring out for the first time, it won’t just signal the start of a new show. It will mark a rare moment where British television experiments with scale, risk, and immediacy in a space long dominated by safe formats.

Whether “SNL U.K.” becomes a cultural staple or a bold experiment, one thing is clear: British comedy is stepping onto a global stage — live, loud, and unapologetically itself.

And for audiences, that alone is worth tuning in for.

Featured image: Charlotte Rutherford/SNL UK

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