Saturday Night Live has been one of the most influential and beloved comedy giants ever since it premiered back in 1975. It is nothing short of an American institution that bred some of the biggest names in comedy history. And now, over fifty years later, creator Lorne Michaels has decided to take it across the Atlantic. The inaugural cast for Saturday Night Live UK has now been announced, including a mix of stand-ups, actors, and online sensations.
Hammed Animashaun
Animashaun is a sitcom actor, most well known for the BBC’s East London-set police comedy Black Ops. He is also a theatre professional, and it is this passion for live performance that makes him a good match for Saturday Night Live.
Ayoade Bamgboye
Having only been a comedian for a few years, a transition into one of comedy’s biggest showcases shows the potential on show with Bamgboye. She has already won prizes at Edinburgh Fringe, and starred in a Channel 4 comedy series.
Larry Dean
Possibly the most seasoned of the cast, Dean has been on the stand-up circuit for years, performing on Live at the Apollo and even the Royal Variety Performance in recent times. He cites many Saturday Night Live alumni among his comedy heroes, including Wayne’s World stars Mike Myers and Dana Carvey.
Celeste Dring
Dring is a successful sketch comedian, being one half of the sketch comedy duo called Lazy Susan, that went all the way from Edinburgh Fringe to their own BBC sitcom. She also had a recurring role in hit show This Country.
George Fouracres
With a career primarily in dramatic theatre through productions at Shakespeare’s Globe, he also recently featured in Netflix’s Steve. Fouracres has always felt the UK should have its own version of Saturday Night Live and is surely relishing in the fact that he gets to be a part of it.
Ania Magliano
Magliano is a stand-up comedian who was recently a contestant on the hit show Taskmaster, where she quickly became a fan favourite. Citing “Ross from Friends” as a comedy hero, she is about to embark on her new national tour entitled Peach Fuzz, and Saturday Night Live is just the next step in her rise to stardom.
Annabel Marlow
Marlow originated the role of Katherine Howard in the smash hit Six the Musical in Cambridge, and then at the Fringe in Edinburgh. She also claims to have sleeper Instagram fan accounts dedicated to Saturday Night Live, and cites former cast member Kristen Wiig as her comedy hero.
Al Nash
Having made appearances on TV on Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, Nash has made most of his fanbase through social media sketches, amassing over 100 million views online. His comedic style and appearance resembles that of his hero John Candy.
Jack Shep
Shep has appeared in Channel 4’s hit comedy Big Boys, as well as occasionally hosting the Wanting To Be Cool, Having To Be Funny comedy night. He has shared his excitement for the process of creating and performing a whole new show every week, so he seems well prepared for the SNL life.
Emma Sidi
Another successful product of the Taskmaster house, Sidi was a contestant on the show back in 2024 and also appeared in comedy icon Alan Partridge’s recent live show Stratagem! Most recently, she played a small role in Edgar Wright’s blockbuster The Running Man.
Paddy Young
The final cast member is a seasoned sketch comic, with Young having appeared in the latest from the creators of Peep Show, Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping, as well as Simon Bird’s Everyone Else Burns.
It is quite common nowadays for SNL to not be the funniest way to spend your Saturday night. Aside from its Weekend Update segment, the sketches tend to be more miss than hit. It may be the same for this British adaptation, but hopefully, this does not bring about an early cancellation of a show that has the potential to be a smash hit when it premieres in March. What can be guaranteed, though, is that live from London, it’s Saturday Night!
