Saturday Night Live UK Unveils Cast For March Debut

Saturday Night Live, the iconic American late-night comedy show that’s been a launchpad for stars from Bill Murray to Tina Fey, is about to make its highly anticipated leap across the Atlantic. On March 21, 2026, the very first British incarnation of SNL will premiere on Sky and be available for streaming on NOW, marking a historic moment for sketch comedy in the UK.

The buzz around this new version has been building since plans were officially confirmed in April 2025. Now, with the announcement of the inaugural cast of 11 comedians, excitement is reaching fever pitch. The line-up features Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi, and Paddy Young. While some have already made names for themselves in shows like Taskmaster, Starstruck, Big Boys, This Country, and Black Ops, most are considered rising stars or grassroots comics—a nod to SNL’s tradition of nurturing fresh, unfiltered comedic talent.

According to Deadline, the production is a collaboration between Universal Television Alternative Studio’s UK team and Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video, with Michaels himself serving as executive producer. James Longman takes on the role of lead producer, Liz Clare is directing, and Daran Jonno Johnson is the head writer. The UK version will closely follow the SNL formula: a new guest host and musical act each week, a live studio audience, an opening monologue, topical sketches, live music, and the signature satirical news segment—Weekend Update—this time with a distinctly British twist.

“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,” Longman said in a statement shared with Deadline and Mashable.

Phil Edgar-Jones, Sky’s Executive Director of Unscripted Originals, echoed the sentiment, telling Deadline, “We all need a laugh like never before, so we’re beyond excited to bring Saturday Night Live to the UK, only 50 short years after it first launched in the US. The show’s long-standing legacy of discovering and nurturing outstanding comedy talent speaks for itself, and this UK version will build on that legacy with the support of Lorne Michaels, a brilliant local production team, and an exciting new generation of voices. Saturday nights are looking bright!”

Each cast member brings a unique background to the table, promising a blend of styles and perspectives. Hammed Animashaun, known for his work in Black Ops and a strong background in theatre, shared, “It’s the prestige of Saturday Night Live, to be part of something so popular and historic is a privilege. I don’t think there’s another show like it that’s been running as long. It would’ve been weird to have said no!”

Ayoade Bamgboye, who won Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, described joining SNL UK as the perfect training ground: “There’s no better training ground. I’m maybe three, four years into comedy, and it just feels like the perfect place to accelerate my learning. Having a steep learning curve like this gives me so much bandwidth to try many different things in a short space of time.”

For Larry Dean, whose credits include Live at the Apollo and The Royal Variety Performance, the show is a dream come true: “I just love sketch comedy. 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. It’s always been my dream to do acting and stand-up, so this is exactly what I want to be doing.”

Celeste Dring, acclaimed for her work on Lazy Susan and This Country, said, “It was a no-brainer really. I just love the idea of being creative with a group of brilliantly talented and funny people and the chance to do something new.”

Meanwhile, George Fouracres, with roots in both Shakespearean theatre and sketch comedy, admitted to Sky News that being part of SNL UK “blows my tiny mind.” He added, “I’ve been in love with Saturday Night Live since forever. It was my dream job when I was younger because my favourite thing is playing lots of very intense, insane characters, and I love the glamour of late night live TV. Seeing clips of SNL in the US I always thought ‘I wish we had that. Why don’t we have something like that?’ So the fact that we do now, and I get to be part of it, blows my tiny mind.”

Ania Magliano, who’s performed sold-out tours and appeared on Taskmaster, views the show as a chance to collaborate: “I love performing stand-up, but the chance to work collaboratively with other amazing comedians was a huge draw for me. And honestly, being part of SNL UK is just incredibly cool. SNL is a major comedy institution that I never expected to be a part of, so the idea that I get to go live on Saturday nights is mad – I can’t wait.”

Annabel Marlow, an alumna of Six The Musical, confessed, “I’m a huge fan of the show, I actually have an old fan account from 2016 I used to run on social media that was dedicated to being obsessed with Saturday Night Live. SNL combines everything I love. I’m excited to create characters and hopefully write some music as well.”

Al Nash, who’s made waves as an “Instagram heartthrob” and on Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, sees the show as a massive opportunity for UK comedy: “I think it’s a really exciting opportunity for the UK comedy industry in general. For it to be a new sketch format in the UK, but also one of the biggest sketch comedy formats in the world, it’s got so much potential. As someone who is sketch comedy obsessed, I’m just so happy to be a part of the cast.”

Jack Shep, known for Big Boys, summed up the excitement: “It’s just a completely unique show. To make a finished show in a week and then start all over again the next week is amazing. Being able to be in a room full of comedians being stupid and funny like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Emma Sidi, who’s appeared on Starstruck and Alan Partridge Live: Stratagem, is looking forward to bringing character comedy back to UK screens: “I love comedy and character comedy especially, and I think there isn’t that much character comedy on TV in the UK right now. My favourite comedies to watch growing up were French & Saunders, The Fast Show, Reeves and Mortimer, all those pioneering shows from the alt comedy scene. Saturday Night Live is a huge opportunity to get that kind of comedy back on TV and online.”

Paddy Young, who starred in Everyone Else Burns, called the scale of the project “quackers,” adding, “It feels like the most exciting thing that’s happened in comedy in this country for a long time, even more than Reels. The scale of it is quackers: 11 in the cast, 18 writers, and the catering is world class.”

As Mashable pointed out, the cast isn’t stacked with household names, but that’s exactly the point. SNL UK is poised to give the spotlight to a new generation of British comedians, echoing the U.S. show’s tradition of discovering and nurturing talent who go on to become comedy legends.

With the creative team led by Lorne Michaels and a format that blends the best of American and British comedic sensibilities, Saturday Night Live UK is set to become a major event on the comedy calendar. The first live episode airs March 21, and with each week promising a new guest host, musical act, and a fresh batch of sketches, viewers on both sides of the Atlantic have plenty to look forward to. U.S. streaming details are still to be announced, but anticipation is high for this bold new chapter in late-night comedy.

Fifty years after its American debut, SNL’s British cousin is finally stepping into the spotlight—ready to make Saturday nights a whole lot funnier, and maybe even launch the next wave of comedy superstars.