Saturday Night Live UK opened with a bang on Saturday, March 21, on Sky TV with SNL alum Tina Fey hosting the inaugural episode. It was filled with popular guests such as Nicola Coughlan of Bridgerton, actor Michael Cera, and British talk show host Graham Norton.
The U.K. show followed much the same format as the longstanding U.S. production, including the Weekend Update segment. It is the longest-running segment in the U.S. show's history and is filled with satirical news commentary and parodies of current events.
SNL UK took aim at the former Prince Andrew
The U.K. iteration is hosted by presenters Ania Magliano and Paddy Young, who took a stab at Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince of England who was stripped of his titles for his connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
Comedian Ania Magliano opened up the segment on the former royal, saying, "Renovations to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's new home, Marsh Farm, have been taking place over the last month, including the installation of Sky TV. So, if you're watching, Andrew, hello. You're not going to like this next bit. Also, I'm older than I look."
She went on cheekily, "Andrew's new residence, Marsh Farm, is of course named after the nearby marsh where his body will be found."
Cohost Paddy Young continued the segment, adding, "It was reported this week that the police investigation into Andrew is set to widen. The big question now is if Andrew is charged, found guilty, and put in prison, will he be able to keep his mouth shut? 'I hope not,' said his cellmate's p*nis."
Reactions to the segment
Viewers responded well, overall, to the segment and SNL UK as a whole. Comments on X and the YouTube clip of Weekend Update called the comedians' bits "proper funny" and shared their hopes for the future of the show.
@a70sgirl tweeted, I love this for the UK! Excellent timing for S1E1 of SNL UK! The cold open and Weekend Update help keep us sane here in the US. The news is so stark, only laughter can help."
On YouTube, one excited fan wrote, "Wow. Charismatic anchors, unique Weekend Update set, and distinctively British humor. I actually have high hopes that this SNL UK version takes off. Weekend Update is usually the best part of the show (in the US anyway), and it seems like this is the same case for this version too."
Of course, not everyone was sold on the new program yet. One YouTube commenter shared, "Okay, as a UK citizen, this isn’t a bad start to SNL UK. A little too derivative of the American style comedy, but I’m willing to see how this will evolve."
Another person added, "I watched it live last night, and I went into it sceptical if it could actually work for a UK-based show, but I was pleasantly surprised, and it was better than I expected."
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