Keir Starmer Rejects Donald Trump as Tina Fey Introduces Nicola Coughlan and Michael Cera on Saturday Night Live UK
In a nod to its American origins, the inaugural episode of Saturday Night Live UK kicked off with a political cold open.
The sketch featured George Fouracres portraying a flustered Keir Starmer, who was depicted as trying to dodge a phone call from former President Donald Trump.
“Oh, golly! Wh-what if Donald shouts at me? What do I say?” Starmer frets to an adviser, played by Hammed Animashaun. Ultimately, Starmer is persuaded to take the call, employing several familiar tropes to curry favor.
“Hi Donald. I’m afraid I can’t go to war with you, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be chums,” he says. “America and Britain have a long, proud tradition of cooperation, and nothing can take that away. Remember the good times: Remember D-Day, remember Live Aid, remember Iraq – the first week and then none of the rest… remember Helen Baxendale on Friends, remember Hugh Laurie on Friends, remember the episode of Friends when they all came to London, remember the one where Joey put on all of Chandler’s clothes – that was a funny one!
After the call ends, the adviser remarks: “Good work, sir. You did the bare minimum, and that’s all people expect from you.”
Tina Fey followed this sketch with a monologue outlining the purpose of the British version of the iconic show. As the first host of SNL UK, she humorously addressed the question of why the show was created: “Like so many large-scale US operations these days, nobody really knows why,” she said.
Interrupting the moment, Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan questioned from the audience why an American was selected for the debut hosting role.
Fey responded candidly, “The way it was explained to me was that for this first episode, anyway, how do I put this politely, none of you fuckers would do it.”
Coughlan jokingly suggested that Fey should “educate yourself” on the differences between Irish and British cultures, while Arrested Development star Michael Cera chimed in, expressing surprise that profanity could be included in the British version, enthusiastically uttering phrases like “Shitbird” and “fucking bollocks.”
Graham Norton also made a brief appearance, questioning Fey’s credentials while noting the show was filmed in the same studio as his long-running talk series, The Graham Norton Show.
Fey adeptly navigated a quiz on British comedy history, seamlessly delivering impressions of notable shows like Fawlty Towers, Are You Being Served, and Monty Python, as well as referencing the popular Jet 2 Holidays voiceover advertisement.
The show premiered in the UK last night, marking the launch of the first British episode exactly 50 years after Saturday Night Live debuted in the U.S. as NBC’s Saturday Night. Fey, a crucial figure in SNL‘s modern evolution, was brought in to lend credibility to the UK adaptation. Variants of the show have previously been produced in countries including Japan, France, Italy, and Korea.
The broadcast almost faced disruption as a Brentford vs. Leeds United English Premier League match on Sky One extended into injury time. As the referee concluded the scoreless game, Sky transitioned just in time to the new sketch show at its scheduled 10 PM slot.
Fey hosted the debut episode, with Wet Leg serving as the musical guest. They joined the SNL UK cast, which includes Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi, and Paddy Young.
Despite excitement surrounding the show’s launch, there remains skepticism within the UK entertainment industry regarding its ability to justify the considerable investment made by Sky. One veteran TV industry source referred to the production as the “slowest car crash in TV history,” raising doubts about the acceptance of the American format in a country that has largely spurned late-night television and many comedy styles.
In contrast, UK comedians have rallied in support of the show, emphasizing the rarity of a well-funded sketch program. Comedian Stevie Martin, part of the recent project, along with David Mitchell and Robert Webb of Channel 4’s Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping, voiced their defense against critics.
Encouraging viewers to give SNL UK a chance, Martin remarked, “If you don’t like it, shrug and move on, and it will lead to more shows that you maybe do like. TV sketch comedy in the UK is on its knees right now. Just let it try.”
The series has been confirmed to run for eight episodes, having received an extension of two additional episodes yesterday.
