Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan and Riz Ahmed have been announced as the first three guest hosts of the UK version of Saturday Night Live (SNL). The long-awaited British spin-off of the iconic US comedy show will premiere live on Sky One on 21 March.
The UK edition will replicate SNL's famously fast turnaround, with each episode written and rehearsed during the week of broadcast before being performed live in front of a studio audience in London. The format will include an opening monologue, topical sketches, live music, and a British take on the satirical news segment Weekend Update.
The first three musical guests will be Isle of Wight indie band Wet Leg, Brit Award-winners Wolf Alice, and rock legends Kasabian. Lorne Michaels, who created SNL in 1975, serves as executive producer, alongside a team of 20 writers and a regular cast of 11 comedians aged 26 to 36.
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. While not yet household names, many have backgrounds in Cambridge Footlights or Edinburgh Fringe nominations.
Head writer Johnson expressed excitement about the talent involved, saying: 'The number of funny, talented writers we have got to work on SNL UK is ludicrous.' The first episode airs on 21 March at 10pm on Sky One and will also be available on streaming service Now.
