The wait is finally over. Saturday Night Live is officially crossing the pond with a UK edition, and the full cast has just been unveiled.
Sky announced the 11 comedy players set to make history as the inaugural cast of ‘Saturday Night Live UK,’ the first-ever British incarnation of NBC’s legendary late-night showcase. The six-episode Sky Original series launches March 21, bringing the iconic “Live from London, it’s Saturday Night!” to life for the first time.
The cast includes Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi, and Paddy Young. The writers room lineup will be announced soon.
Broadcast live each week, the show reimagines SNL’s high-wire energy through a distinctly British lens. Each episode will feature a celebrity guest host and chart-topping musical guest, with sketches written, rehearsed, and performed within the week of each show. Expect an opening monologue, topical sketches, live music, and a UK take on ‘Weekend Update.’
Lead Producer James Longman shared his excitement about the lineup:
“The UK is absolutely packed with incredible comedy talent right now and this cast represents the freshest voices we have, they’re bold, exciting and of course, incredibly funny. The chemistry between them is something special and we can’t wait to share this funny group of people with the world.”
Meet the Cast!
Hammed Animashaun (East London) brings theatre credentials from productions like ‘Black Ops’ and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at the Bridge Theatre. The actor, who cites Lenny Henry and Dave Chappelle as heroes, called joining SNL UK “a privilege,” noting it would’ve been “weird to have said no” to something so historic.
Ayoade Bamgboye (London and Lagos) is relatively new to comedy, just three to four years in, but already won Best Newcomer at Edinburgh Fringe. The former advertising exec describes the gig as “the perfect place to accelerate my learning” and credits a “series of blessings and serendipitous moments” for landing the role.
Larry Dean (Glasgow) has already graced stages like ‘The Royal Variety Performance’ and ‘Live at the Apollo.’ The stand-up, who idolizes Jim Carrey and Richard Pryor, sees SNL UK as the perfect marriage of his two passions: acting and comedy.
Celeste Dring (Wolverhampton) made her mark as half of sketch duo Lazy Susan alongside Freya Parker, earning their own BBC show. A fan of Kristen Wiig and Julia Davis, she called joining SNL UK “a no-brainer.”
George Fouracres (Willenhall, Wolverhampton) is a Shakespeare’s Globe Associate Artist who’s been obsessed with SNL since childhood. The performer, who’s worked with Phil Wang in sketch group Daphne, admitted the opportunity “blows my tiny mind.”
Ania Magliano (Buckinghamshire) has nearly 10 years of stand-up under her belt, including sold-out tours and a special. The ‘Taskmaster’ alum, who lists Ross from ‘Friends’ as a comedy hero, is eager to bring her stand-up background into sketch territory.
Annabel Marlow (Henley-on-Thames) actually ran an SNL fan account back in 2016. The musical theatre performer, who’s appeared in ‘Six The Musical’ and ‘Muriel’s Wedding,’ is excited to create characters and write music for the show.
Al Nash (Buckinghamshire) founded the comedy society at University of Sussex and has been making online sketches since 2020. The self-described sketch comedy obsessive sees SNL UK as a massive opportunity for the entire UK comedy scene.
Jack Shep (Bedfordshire) describes himself as “a comic rather than a stand-up comedian” and has credits including ‘Big Boys.’ A fan of Tim Robinson and Patti Harrison, he’s thrilled to be “in a room full of comedians being stupid and funny.”
Emma Sidi (Woking) specializes in character comedy, having toured her one-woman show ‘Emma Sidi Is Sue Gray’ across multiple countries. The ‘Starstruck’ star sees SNL UK as a chance to bring character comedy back to UK television in a major way.
Paddy Young (Scarborough) called SNL UK “the most exciting thing that’s happened in comedy in this country for a long time.” The ‘Everyone Else Burns’ actor, who cites Vic & Bob and Norm Macdonald as heroes, joked that even the catering is “world class.”
Thoughts?