Saturday Night Live has been a staple of NBC for over 50 years, and British fans are about to get their very own version — whether they want it or not. Sky has confirmed that SNL UK is in the works. The sketch show will reportedly feature a ‘star-studded line-up of hosts’ and a format that will stay true to the American original’s ‘live, fast-paced style’.
Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of Sky Studios and Chief Content Officer, Sky, said, ‘The show has discovered and nurtured countless comedy and musical talents over the years and we are thrilled to be partnering with Lorne and the SNL team to bring an all-British version of the show to UK audiences next year – all live from London on Saturday night!’
Lorne Michaels, the producer and creator of the original SNL, will be the executive producer of the British spin-off. Since the US version has launched the careers of Bill Murray, Seth Meyers, Eddie Murphy, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, and Mike Myers—among others— it’s likely that countless UK comedians could try to earn a spot in the original cast of the British SNL.
While the UK has had plenty of its own sketch shows — That Mitchell and Webb Look, The Catherine Tate Show, Little Britain, to name a few — the announcement of an British SNL spin-off has raised eyebrows given how vastly different American and British humour can be.
While there have been plenty of American remakes of British shows to varying degrees of success, it’s clear that the humour doesn’t always translate. The Inbetweeners and The IT Crowd were both given groan-worthy American makeovers that flopped, while the US version of The Office was a revelation and ran for seven series more than the British original.
The news of SNL UK has received mixed reviews online, with one X user commenting, ‘does anyone else find SNL completely unfunny, hopefully the UK can fix that.’
Others were slightly more optimistic, and one fan tweeted, ‘SNL UK will be wildly raucous they cuss & other stuff after 9pm.’
Who will star on SNL UK?
All we know so far about the cast is that it will feature ‘the funniest British comedians around’, alongside new hosts and musical guests each week.
Is there an SNL UK release date and where can I watch?
Saturday Night Live UK will air on Sky Max and the streaming service NOW at some point in 2026.
Sarah O'Byrne is a content creator for Bauer Media, writing celebrity news and features across six of the company’s brands – heat, Closer, Grazia, Crime Monthly, Bella, and Yours. Sarah has worked at Bauer Media since May 2023.