March 22, 2026, 12:50 p.m. ET
Live from London, it’s the first-ever “Saturday Night Live UK“!
The brand-new British spinoff of “Saturday Night Live” aired its very first episode on March 21, and a comedian who is “SNL” royalty helped kick the festivities off: Tina Fey served as host for the debut, with Wet Leg performing as the musical guest.
The cold open followed a similar format as most American “SNL” episodes, complete with a heavy focus on President Donald Trump. It depicted Prime Minister Keir Starmer (George Fouracres) in his office nervously getting ready to call Trump and tell him he can’t send any more ships to the Strait of Hormuz amid the United States’ war with Iran.
“What if Donald shouts at me?” he asked.
A Trump character did not physically appear in the sketch, but his voice was heard on the phone, and a photo of the real Trump could be seen in the background. As soon as Trump answered the phone, Fouracres’ Starmer got worried and hung up. “That scary, scary, wonderful president,” he said, asking why Trump is so “difficult to talk to.” He added he wants to avoid conflict and keep Trump happy, declaring, “I can change him!”
Fouracres’ Starmer went on to rehearse what to say when he calls Trump back, explaining what he wants to get across with a “Friends” reference.
“Remember the one where Ross and Rachel were on a break? I think perhaps that’s what we need,” he said. “Not forever. Just until you’ve got all this war out of your system. Listen, we want different things. I know how badly you want to start World War III, and that’s great. You should absolutely do that. But we can’t be a part of it. You can, however, use the naval bases whenever you want.”
The cold open ended with the cast making a tweak to the iconic “SNL” opening line: “Live from London, it’s Saturday night!”
Tina Fey jokes ‘no one really knows why’ ‘SNL’ got a UK spinoff
“Why do a UK version of ‘SNL’? Well, like so many large-scale American operations these days, no one really knows why,” Fey joked in her opening monologue.
Much like on American “SNL,” the monologue included celebrities making cameos as members of the audience to pose questions to the host.
“Bridgerton” star Nicola Coughlan appeared first to ask why the first episode was being hosted by an American, inquiring, “Shouldn’t it be a British icon, like David Beckham, or Judi Dench, or, like, Shrek?” In response, Fey joked that no one else “would do it.”
One big difference between the two shows was made clear when Fey dropped a f-bomb during her monologue, which would be strictly forbidden on the American version. Michael Cera popped up to make this observation. “Oh, yeah, we are allowed to swear in this version of the show,” Fey told him, inspiring Cera to drop a few swear words himself.
Another noticeable difference was the set used for the monologue, which had more of a bar aesthetic than the American version. The stage was also positioned in a way where audience members were seated to the left and right of the host, not just in front of them.
The cold open ended with Graham Norton pointing out, “This is usually my studio,” and coming on stage with cards to interview Fey like an episode of his talk show.
‘SNL UK’ skewers Prince Andrew on ‘Weekend Update’
“SNL UK” also has its own version of the satirical news segment “Weekend Update,” hosted by Ania Magliano and Paddy Young. The debut edition skewered the former Prince Andrew, who was arrested last month on suspicion of misconduct in public life.
“Renovations to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s new home, Marsh Farm, have been taking place over the last month, including the installation of Sky TV,” Magliano said. “So, if you’re watching, Andrew, hello! You’re not going to like this next bit. Also, I’m older than I look.”
The “next bit” Magliano referred to was a shocking joke about Andrew’s demise, which drew laughs from the audience.
Jamie Dornan will serve as the next host of “SNL UK” on March 28, with musical Wolf Alice. The week after, Riz Ahmed will host with musical guest Kasabian. Ahmed’s show will be the first time an episode of the American and British versions of “SNL” air on the same day. In the U.S., “SNL” is on a brief hiatus until April 4, when Jack Black will return as host.
For American viewers, “SNL UK” will be available to watch on Peacock on Sundays, the day after it airs in the U.K.
