Saturday Night Live UK viewers 'switch off' moments into debut episode with surprise cameos

Saturday Night Live UK viewers said they ‘switched off’ moments into its debut episode which was full of some surprise cameos from famous faces.

The first episode of Saturday Night Live UK kicked off on Sky One on Saturday night (March 20). SNL premiered all the way back in 1975 and launched the careers of Hollywood legends such as Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy and Chevy Chase.

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SNL UK’s cast consists of rising comedians Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep and Emma Sidi. Tasked with presenting the first episode was Mean Girls actress and former SNL star Tina Fey.

The episode began with a cold open in Downing Street, where the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was fearing a phone call from the President of the United States. Informed by his advisor to be ‘himself as ‘everyone likes’ him, Starmer hung up the phone due to nerves.

Wondering how ‘Liz Truss made this look easy’, Starmer was introduced to his new Gen Z advisor, who was described as ‘only person under 23 who votes Labour and would do so again’. Ringing President Trump back, Starmer told Trump he ‘couldn’t go to war with him, but they could still be chums’.

Telling him to ‘remember Live Aid and Iraq’ as well as various moments from the sitcom Friends, the actor playing Starmer said that he knew Trump ‘wanted to start World War 3’. The sketch ended with Starmer saying that they can still embrace aspects of the UK before dropping the series’ first ‘live from London, it’s Saturday night’.

Speaking in her opening monologue, Tina said: “I am so excited to be here in London, it’s honestly kind of historic. I am the younger person to ever host SNL UK… Why do a UK version of SNL, like so many large scale operations these days, no one really knows why."

Tina continued: “I am just here as a long term SNL employee to help out and answer any questions anyone might have."

Bridgerton and Derry Nicola Coughlan proceeded to ask why Tina was the first host rather than a ‘UK icon’, to which she stated that ‘none of you f***ers would do it’. Nicola noted that she would be honoured to come back if Olly Murs was a musical host.

Another surprise cameo saw Arrested Development actor Michael Cera call out Tina's swearing, to which she clarified that they were allowed to do due to the UK Ofcom rules. The final cameo was from Graham Norton, who pointed out that the studio the show was being filmed in was the same as the one he uses for his BBC talk show.

Those who tuned in to the first episode to see how the attempt at replicating one of the world’s biggest shows took to X, previously known as Twitter, to have their say on what they made of the opening moments.

@RichardJohn said: “Managed to last about 40 seconds of SNL UK, which is more than i was expecting tbh.” @markf3006 added: “Snl UK utter dross after one min.”

@JordLPM wrote: “Thought I would give SNL UK a go but I'm one minute into the first sketch and it's awful fair enough.” @D4NXIII posted: “5mins in watching SNL UK. Excruciating.”

@unoriginal_____ commented: “SNL UK has the same feeling as American SNL which I love even though it sucks sometimes. I think I'm really going to like SNL UK.” @ukboltlouis argued: “SNL UK might actually be good liked that open.”