Comedians announced for new Saturday Night Live UK series
Saturday Night Live has announced the comedians for the first UK incarnation of the hit late-night US series.
These include Taskmaster stars Ania Magliano and Emma Sidi; Black Ops star Hamed Anyimshawn; and Ayoade Bamagboye, who was named the best newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards last year.
Larry Dean, who has appeared on Live at the Apollo, and Celeste Dring, whose credits include This Country and Lazy Susan, also feature. The cast of 11 includes Paddy Young (fromEveryone Else Burns and Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping) and “Instagram heartthrob” Al Nash.
George Fouracres (Steve), Jack Shepp (Big Boys) and Annabel Marlow (Six the Musical) complete the line-up, billed as a “new generation” of British comedians.
Cher, Ariana Grande and Bowen Yang were on Saturday Night Live last year. Image: NBC Universal Media/Sky UK
SNL, broadcast on NBC in the US, is an American pop culture institution that has been running for 50 years and launched the careers of stars including Bill Murray and Tina Fey. Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Kristen Wiig, and Will Ferrell are among the notable stars who have appeared on the show.
The first UK edition is set to launch on Sky in March, with a guest host running the show each week.
Star hosts in America last year included Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, Josh O’Connor, Glen Powell, Golden Globes presenter Nikki Glaser and recent Grammy winner Bad Bunny.
Pete Davidson at SNL50: The Anniversary Show. Photo: Janet Mayer/InstarImages/Cover Images/AP February 2025
“I just love sketch comedy,” Dean said when asked why he wanted to join the show. “There are many people who have appeared on Saturday Night Live as hosts or as part of the cast who are my comedy heroes – like Jim Carrey, Richard Pryor, Mike Myers, and Dana Carvey.”
Fouracres said he often watched clips of American shows and thought, “I wish we had that.” Could we consider having something similar to that?
He said, “Being a part of a new show blows my mind.”
The creative team, from left to right, is James Longman, Liz Clair and Daron Jono Johnson. Image: SNL UK
The producers of theUK show announced in November and said that the writers would also be revealed soon.
Written, rehearsed and performed throughout the week of each show, each episode will be staged in front of a live studio audience and will feature an opening monologue, occasional sketches, live music and a UK rendition of SNL’s famous news satire, Weekend Update.
Head producer James Longman said that the UK’s artists represent “the freshest voices we have” and are “adventurous, exciting, and, of course, incredibly fun.”
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American producer Lorne Michaels will oversee the UK show.
Phil Edgar Jones, the executive director of unscripted originals at Sky, asserted that the timing of the show was opportune, as “we all crave a fresh burst of laughter”.
He further stated, “With the support of Lorne Michaels, a brilliant local production team, and an exciting new generation of voices, this UK version will build on the show’s long-standing legacy of discovering and nurturing outstanding comedy talent.”
Saturday Night Live UK will be broadcast on Sky and streaming service Now from March 21.
