LONDON — Saturday Night Live U.K. premiered on Sky One on March 21, 2026. The debut episode of the British version drew 226,000 viewers with a 3.2% share of the TV audience in the United Kingdom, according to official BARB figures.

The cold open of the inaugural episode depicted Prime Minister Keir Starmer attempting to call President Donald Trump about joining a war in Iran. George Fouracres portrayed Starmer and Hammed Animashaun portrayed Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy in the sketch.

"What if Donald shouts at me?" said Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the cold open sketch. In the scene, Starmer lets out a shriek, hangs up the phone, and buries his face in his hands. "Most importantly, remember the one where Ross and Rachel were on a break," he said in the sketch.

The voice message in the cold open references D-Day, Live Aid, the first week of the Iraq War, and multiple U.K. shoutouts in Friends. "Just be yourself," said Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy in the cold open sketch. After the voice message, he reassured Starmer: "You did the bare minimum, and that's all people expect."

The cold open concluded with the cast saying "Live from London, it's Saturday night!"

The first episode had about four times the viewership of 'A League of Their Own' on the same network, according to official BARB figures. Channel 4's screening of 'Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation' in the same time slot drew 215,000 viewers. The U.S. version of Saturday Night Live on Sky Comedy channel drew 5,000 viewers last week.

The first Weekend Update segment on Saturday Night Live U.K. was hosted by Ania Magliano and Paddy Young. "Andrew's new residence, Marsh Farm, is of course named after the nearby marsh where his body will be found," joked Ania Magliano on Weekend Update. In Weekend Update, Paddy Young said that David and Brooklyn Beckham narrowly missed each other at the same Beverly Hills hotel during a reported feud.

The inaugural cast of Saturday Night Live U.K. includes Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi, and Paddy Young. Saturday Night Live U.K. airs at 10 p.m. on Sky One in the United Kingdom. New episodes of Saturday Night Live U.K. are available for next-day streaming on Peacock in the United States.