Saturday Night Live UK just premiered in London — but what did British viewers think of the first show?
On Saturday, March 21, Tina Fey hosted the premiere of SNL UK, with Wet Leg serving as the musical guest. The British iteration of the sketch comedy series followed the same format as the U.S. version.
It kicked off with a cold open, which poked fun at British Prime Minister Kier Starmer getting help from his trusted advisers when dealing with President Donald Trump.
Additionally, Fey was featured in a monologue, during which she bragged that she was the “youngest person ever to host SNL UK.”
SNL UK also included a “Weekend Update” segment, which remains popular in the U.S.
Weekend Update UK is officially the best! #SNLUK pic.twitter.com/nVFrauOjXl
— 𝒾𝓈𝓃𝓉𝒹𝒶𝓋𝑒𝑜𝓃𝑒 (@IsntDaveOne) March 21, 2026
On X, British viewers weighed in with their thoughts on the SNL UK premiere. The reactions were divided, with some saying they were pleasantly surprised and others unimpressed with the first show.
One critic wrote, “SNL UK? It’s rough. Not ‘so bad it’s good,’ just bad. The sketches drag, the jokes miss, & the whole thing feels like a parody of a parody. We’ve had proper sketch shows in this country; this isn’t one of them. It’s like watching someone try to reboot a format we never asked for.”
However, others had more positive reviews, like one X user who commented, “Really good. Some bits haven’t quite landed as much as others, but that’s gonna happen. Looking forward to seeing how it develops.”
A second agreed, admitted, “I thought it was going to be an absolute train wreck, and have to admit, pleasantly surprised. The first half was the stronger sketches, the second half, like the Paddington one, were pretty poor. But that’s standard SNL. The Underáge sketch was great.”
Another viewer shared, “It’s alright. Jack Shep [is] an early standout. If it’s given time to find its groove, it could grow into a solid show.”
Meanwhile, yet another X user commented, “Expectant of a big pile of preachy unfunny shite, but it had me from the cold open Starmer impression ‘LAMMIE’!!”
Ratings-wise, 226,000 viewers tuned into SNL UK during at 10 p.m. on Sky One, marking 3.2% of the available TV audience at that time, per Variety.
Saturday Night Live UK, Saturdays at 10 p.m. GMT (2 p.m. ET) on SKY One and streaming on NOW TV
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