Saturday Night Live UK comedians revealed ahead of series launch
Saturday Night Live Announces UK Cast for Its New Series
Saturday Night Live has revealed the comedians joining the debut UK iteration of the iconic late-night US series. The cast includes Taskmaster stars Ania Magliano and Emma Sidi, Black Ops standout Hammed Animashaun, and Ayoade Bamgboye, who was honored as best newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards last year.
Comedians in the UK Line-Up
Additional cast members are Larry Dean, a performer on Live At The Apollo, and Celeste Dring, known for her roles in This Country and Lazy Susan. The lineup also features Paddy Young (from Everyone Else Burns and Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping) and Al Nash, dubbed an “Instagram heartthrob.” George Fouracres (Steve), Jack Shep (Big Boys), and Annabel Marlow (Six The Musical) round out the 11-member cast, described as the “new generation” of British comedians.
“I just love sketch comedy,” said Dean. “There have been so many people who have appeared on Saturday Night Live, either as hosts or part of the cast, that are my comedy heroes—like Jim Carrey, Richard Pryor, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey.”
Fouracres added, “I’ve often watched clips of the US show and thought, ‘I wish we had that. Why don’t we have something like that?’ Being part of the new show ‘blows my tiny mind.'”
Saturday Night Live, a flagship program on NBC in the US, has been a cornerstone of American pop culture for 50 years. It launched the careers of comedy icons such as Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Kristen Wiig, and Will Ferrell.
The UK version will debut on Sky in March, with a guest host leading each episode. US star hosts last year included Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, Josh O’Connor, Glen Powell, Golden Globes presenter Nikki Glaser, and Grammy-winning artist Bad Bunny.
Producers confirmed the UK show’s creative team in November and have hinted that writers will be unveiled soon. Each episode will be written, rehearsed, and performed in the week of its broadcast, staged before a live studio audience. The format includes an opening monologue, topical sketches, live music, and a UK adaptation of the show’s signature news satire, Weekend Update.
“The UK cast members represent ‘the freshest voices we have,’ bold, exciting, and of course, incredibly funny,” stated lead producer James Longman.
Phil Edgar Jones, executive director for unscripted originals at Sky, remarked, “The time is right for the show as ‘we all need a laugh like never before.’ The show’s legacy of discovering and nurturing comedy talent speaks for itself, and this UK version will build on that with Lorne Michaels’ support, a brilliant local team, and an exciting new generation of voices.”
Saturday Night Live UK will air on Sky and the streaming service NOW starting 21 March.
