The first host of Saturday Night Live UK is … not from the United Kingdom. She is, however, very familiar with SNL.
Tina Fey has been tapped to host the inaugural episode of the show on March 21, with English band Wet Leg as the first musical guest, broadcaster Sky TV announced Monday. Jamie Dornan and Riz Ahmed — who are from the U.K. — will follow Fey as hosts on March 28 and April 4. Dornan will be joined by musical guest Wolf Alice, and Kasabian will perform on Ahmed’s show.
Fey joined SNL as a writer in 1997 and became the show’s first female head writer two years later. She joined the show’s cast in 2000 and was a regular until she left to create and star in 30 Rock in 2006. Fey has since hosted SNL six times.
Dornan most recently starred in The Tourist and led the Fifty Shades of Grey films alongside Dakota Johnson. Ahmed (The Night Of, The Phoenician Scheme) stars in the Prime Video series Bait due for release later this week.
SNL UK will air at 10 p.m. local time on Sky One and streaming service Now, with next-day streaming on Peacock in the U.S. Episodes will run 75 minutes, a little shorter than the 90-minute run time for the U.S. show.
The SNL UK cast includes Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi, and Paddy Young. SNL creator Lorne Michaels is executive producing the British show; James Longman is the lead producer, Liz Clare directs and Daran Jonno Johnson is head writer.
