Saturday Night Live UK returned last night with host Jack Whitehall and musical guest Jorja Smith, but it was the show's Weekend Update segment that drew attention with a series of dark jokes about Prime Minister Keir Starmer's recent visit to the Gulf region.
Comedians Paddy Young and Ania Magliano presented the satirical news segment. Magliano opened by noting Starmer's arrival in the Gulf 'just in time for the evening do of the Iran war,' referencing his trip to discuss diplomatic efforts to support the ceasefire. She then quipped that after spending three days with Starmer, the accompanying journalists 'might be the first journalists in Saudi Arabia to kill themselves.'
Magliano followed up with a second joke: 'Due to security constraints, Starmer was only able to travel with a small number of journalists, or what the Saudi crown prince would call a “suitcase full”.' This appeared to reference the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Starmer's trip included a meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a visit to Taif Airbase. A statement from Downing Street said the Prime Minister travelled to discuss upholding the ceasefire and protecting the UK and global economy.
Saturday Night Live UK will take a break next week and return on April 25. The first three episodes are available to stream on Sky and NOW.
