When news arrived that Saturday Night Live was coming to the UK, many immediately wrote it off, predicting that the show would be “cringeworthy”, “unfunny”, and, crucially, too American. “A lot of people are frothing at the mouth for it to fail,” comedian Bella Hull, one member of the show's 20-strong writers’ room, told The Independent.
But while SNL UK debuted on Saturday (21 March) to middling reviews, it has had a huge groundswell of support both within the comedy and TV industries – from Richard Osman to Joe Lycett – and from fans online.
In the lead up to the debut show, a number of British comedy’s biggest names encouraged their followers to throw their support behind the cast: Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi and Paddy Young.
On Instagram, Birmingham-based comic Joe Lycett wrote: “I’d love to see a show like SNL thrive. It’s got everything going for it: it leans into the thrill and unpredictability of live [TV], can be hyper topical, infinitely clip-able, and with an insanely high standard of new talent… I’ve got no skin in the game for the show but my love of live TV and British comedy, but I got such a jolt of excitement being there yesterday.”
Many of SNL UK’s supporters highlighted the show as a rare opportunity for new comedy talent to thrive amid the declining power of satirical panel shows, and for providing jobs to around 350 people (according to British GQ).
So while SNL legend Tina Fey and British rockers Wet Leg had been brought in for respective hosting and musical guest duties for the first episode – and Graham Norton, Nicola Coughlan and Michael Cera all popped up in Fey’s opening monologue – all eyes were on the comedy talent involved and the sketches.
For the most part, reviewers and commentators online agreed that there had been “some hits” and “some misses” on the first SNL UK episode, as is to be expected in a sketch comedy format.
But in the comment sections on social media, many fans offered their support to the cast, with Pointless host and TV executive Osman saying that he was “loving” the first episode.
Particular fan favourite moments appeared to be Shep’s spot-on impersonation of Princess Diana, Shakespearean actor Fouracres’ take on Keir Starmer, and Magliano and Young as the hosts of Weekend Update.
BAFTA for this icon. #SNLUK pic.twitter.com/nHJ70YWX3Q
— putasinghonit (@putasinghonit) March 21, 2026
“Everyone did great last night but the stand outs for me were Jack, George, Hammed and Ania and Paddy on the weekend update,” read one tweet.
Other social media users argued that Shep deserved a Bafta for his performance and called Fouracres a scene-stealer, with “fancam”-style video compilations of the cast even appearing online.
Despite its slot on subscription channel Sky One and 10pm start time, SNL UK even exceeded expectations in the traditional viewing metrics. According to official BARB figures (via Deadline), 226,000 people tuned in to watch live, beating Channel 4 in the same slot.
Whether SNL UK will be able to sustain this goodwill over the remaining seven episodes – the original six-episode run having been extended last week – remains to be seen.
But as The Independent's Nick Hilton wrote in his three-star review, “judging a show like SNL off its opening episode is foolish”.
“The chemistry between the cast needs time to settle, and the reaction on TikTok and Instagram will likely inform which sketches have legs and which end up in the writers’ room bin,” he wrote. “What SNL UK’s opening episode does demonstrate is a willingness to push the envelope, to risk bad taste.”
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