Full cast for Saturday Night Live UK announced

As the first British iteration of Saturday Night Live gets ready for its debut, here’s everything you need to know.

Saturday nights are about to get a whole lot funnier as the legendary American late-night comedy show Saturday Night Live is due for its debut in the UK. Having run in the US for some 50 years, the sketch show has launched the careers of many a comedian, including Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Jimmy Fallon, Pete Davidson, Chloe Fineman and many more.

Rumours of SNL crossing the Atlantic have circulated for some time, but the wait is nearly over as a brand new six-episode series will kick off on Sky Original in March. To whet our appetite further, the all-new cast has just been announced – and it’s full of brilliant, burgeoning British comedic talent. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming series…

Credit: Sky Original

Who will star in Saturday Night Live UK?

An all-new British SNL requires an all-new British cast, and 11 exciting, up-and-coming comedic talents will be taking to the stage for the inaugural series (and no doubt hoping they’ll experience the show’s famous Midas-like touch for launching comedic careers). They are:

Ania Magliano (Taskmaster, Channel 4)
Emma Sidi (Taskmaster, Channel 4)
Hammed Animashaun (Black Ops, BBC)
Ayoade Bamgboye (Swings And Roundabouts, Edinburgh Fringe)
Larry Dean (The Royal Variety Performance 2024, ITV)
Celeste Dring (This Country, BBC)
George Fouracres (Steve, Netflix)
Annabel Marlow (Six The Musical, Edinburgh Fringe)
Al Nash (Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, BBC)
Jack Shep (Big Boys, Channel 4)
Paddy Young (Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping, Channel 4)

You might recognise some of the names from Instagram or TikTok, while others have already won over legions of fans on Channel 4’s Taskmaster and BBC comedies such as Black Ops and This Country.

“The UK is absolutely packed with incredible comedy talent right now, and this cast represents the freshest voices we have,” says James Longman, lead producer of SNL UK. “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.”

Credit: Sky Original

What will happen in Saturday Night Live UK?

The sketch show will follow a similar format to its US counterpart, with the same uniquely ‘high-wire, anything-can-happen energy’. Broadcast live every Saturday night, each episode will see a new guest host take the helm alongside a chart-topping musical guest. As for the sketches, they’ll be written, rehearsed and performed in the week of each show, with every episode staged in front of a live studio audience. In true SNL fashion, each episode will feature an opening monologue, topical sketches, live music and a UK-based take on SNL’s news satire skit, the Weekend Update.