SNL UK Renewed for Season 2

The British adaptation of Saturday Night Live has been renewed for a second season by Sky and Universal Television Alternative Studio. The series also made its debut in the United States on the Peacock streaming platform.

Season 2 Renewal

Sky announced the renewal of SNL UK for a second season on Thursday, March 27. The upcoming season will consist of 12 episodes, an increase from the eight episodes in the debut season.

The new season is scheduled to begin airing in fall 2026 and continue into early 2027. The series airs on Sky One in the UK and streams on Peacock in the US the following day.

"This show has become Sky's most talked-about show of the year and is part of the cultural conversation." — Phil Edgar-Jones, Executive Director of Unscripted Originals at Sky

Lorne Michaels, creator of the original SNL and executive producer of SNL UK, stated that he was grateful to Sky for its support of the series. Phil Edgar-Jones acknowledged initial skepticism regarding the viability of the format in the UK.

The production budget for SNL UK has been reported as Sky's most expensive unscripted show to date. Multiple sources report that each episode costs approximately £2 million ($2.6 million).

Season 1 Performance and Viewership

The inaugural episode of SNL UK, hosted by Tina Fey with musical guest Wet Leg, premiered in the UK on Saturday, March 21. According to reports, the premiere attracted between 226,000 and 230,000 viewers.

Viewership for subsequent episodes varied:

Industry sources characterized these viewership numbers as strong for Sky's subscriber-based platform, noting they are lower than those typically seen on free-to-air broadcasters.

The series generated over 86 million views across social media platforms. Several sketches gained popularity online, including:

• A cold open featuring Prince Andrew (2.4 million views)
• A sketch featuring King Charles (1.7 million views)

The show received mixed critical reviews.

Season 1 Episode Schedule

The first season includes the following hosts and musical guests:

• Tina Fey — with Wet Leg
• Aimee Lou Wood
• Nicola Coughlan
• Jamie Dornan — with Wolf Alice
• Riz Ahmed — with Kasabian
• Jack Whitehall
• Hannah Waddingham (scheduled host)
• Ncuti Gatwa (scheduled host for the finale)

Final musical guests for the season are Myles Smith and Holly Humberstone.

Production and Cast

SNL UK is produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio's (UTAS) UK production team and Broadway Video for Sky and NOW.

Executive Producer: Lorne Michaels
Producer (Broadway Video): Erin David
Managing Director (UTAS UK): Helen Kruger Bratt
Lead Producer: James Longman
Director: Liz Clare
Head Writer: Daran Jonno Johnson

The show was commissioned by Phil Edgar-Jones for Cecile Frot-Coutaz, chief advertising and content officer of Sky and CEO of Sky Studios.

The Initial Cast

• Hammed Animashaun
• Ayoade Bamgboye
• Larry Dean
• Celeste Dring
• George Fouracres
• Ania Magliano
• Annabel Marlow
• Al Nash
• Jack Shep
• Emma Sidi
• Paddy Young

Breakout cast members identified by media include George Fouracres, Al Nash, and Jack Shep.