Saturday Night Live became a staple in comedy culture in 1975. Live from New York City, the show is now coming to London for a change in humor, cast and time zone. Following the same formula, the series will be produced by SNL creator Lorne Michaels. SNL United Kingdom will feature eleven up-and-coming comedy names in the U.K.
Broadcaster Sky Group announced the U.K. cast featuring sitcom actors, Taskmaster contestants, Edinburgh Fringe Festival winners and other up-and-coming comedians.
Hammed Animashaun is a British stage, film and television actor. He is known for his role as Kay in Black Ops, where he won Best Male Comedy Performance at the 2024 Royal Television Society Programme Awards. Other notable awards include the 2021 Ian Charleson Award for his role as Bottom in Midsummer Night’s Dream with Bridge Theatre and Best Supporting Actor at WhatsOnStage Awards.
Animashaun has a strong resume for live stage performance. He was also announced to be hired by the BBC as a comedy writer.
Ayoade Bamgboye is a Nigerian and British comedian, mostly known for being the first Black woman to win the 2025 Best Newcomer award at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards or Edinburgh Fringe. This award was a ticket to success and this comedy ingenue is going to surprise many who tune in to watch SNL U.K.
Larry Dean is a Scottish stand-up comedian, writer and actor acclaimed for energetic, physical and confessional comedy blending Scottish culture, relationships and LGBTQIA+ identity. With comedy specials including his 2024 routine, “Fudnut,” Dean has an exciting resume for SNL UK.
Celeste Dring is an English actress and comedy writer known for roles in “Wonderlust" and “The Windsors.” Dring worked with Freya Parker and Ed Kiely in the theatre trio Lebensmüde and performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2013. After Kiely left, Parker and Dring were a duo and earned a nomination for comedy newcomer at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe.
George Fouracres is an English actor and stand-up comedian known for “One Man Musical” and being a regular performer on BBC Radio 4. With TV credits like “Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared” and “The Franchise," theater credits like work for Shakespeare’s Globe, podcast credits like Budpod and radio credits such as “George Fouracres: Black Country Gentlemon.”
Fouracres appears as a well-rounded talent for the comedy industry, having many disciplines under his belt, making him a good choice for SNL U.K.
Ania Magliano is a London-based comedian and writer known for her sharp, wry humor and is currently on tour for her comedy stand-up special “Peach Fuzz.” She was on Taskmaster season 20, winning second place. She has many accolades, such as being a finalist for the Funny Women award in 2020 and the Chortle Student Award in 2018.
Magliano has been on the radio, podcasts, YouTube and Sky comedy specials.
Annabel Marlow is a Jewish English actress and singer known for playing Katherine Howard on the original student production of “Six the Musical” before making a professional debut. She brings musical comedy and a cozy, intimate vibe to her own specials, making the audience feel there is an ever-changing show with little scripting.
Marlow writes her own comedy and songs to go with it, adding some more theater and musical flair to the SNL U.K. cast.
Al Nash is an English comedian and actor known for online satirical sketches. He has been nominated and awarded for his sketches, including the 2019 Leicester Square Sketch Off as part of a duo act with Cara Lea. Nash seems like quite the underdog, but a modern sketch comedian with his online sketches.
Jack Shep is an actor and stand-up comedian with a little presence in the comedy world. He is another underdog that will be exciting to see. However, Shep has 86,000 followers on TikTok, where he makes popular comedic videos.
Emma Sidi is an English actress, comedian and writer known for her TV roles on shows like “Starstuck” and “Ghosts” and also her appearance on season 18 of Taskmaster. She has been seen playing as many comedic characters and writing them, especially at the Edinburgh Fringe. This is definitely a cast member to watch if you want to fall in love with a recurring comedic character bit.
Paddy Young is an actor, writer and comedian who has been nominated for an Edinburgh Comedy Award for his debut show “Hungry, Horny, Scared.” Young might be the best for raunchy sketches when it comes to SNL U.K.
British and American humor have differences. They are often debated and compared. Sitcoms like “The Office” or “Ghosts” have been shared between the two comedy cultures with different references and humor.
Though SNL is global, maybe SNL U.K. can bring a different angle to international comedy. It is set to air on March 21.
