The OG version of Saturday Night Live isn’t back until later this month, but the UK spinoff officially launched its second season last night with a political cold opener. The sketch took shots at new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, as well as King Charles and Queen Camilla, but the biggest laughs came at the expense of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The much-discussed ex-Royals recently moved back to the UK and have started making public appearances again. It’s a little unclear what the pair’s long-term plan is, and SNL leaned into that uncertainty with some pretty direct shots. We got jokes about blowing their Netflix money. We got jokes about hiring staff. We got jokes about needing support from the Royal Family again. We even got jokes about Megan being proud of the fact that she made ice herself.
You can check out the buzzy sketch that’s already been watched almost a million times in its entirety below…
Of course, it would be unfair to say the above sketch was merely an excuse to roast Harry and Meghan. The two were the subject of many of the more memorable jokes, but others took plenty of shrapnel too. We got shots at King Charles and Queen Camilla’s inability to connect, their racial insensitivity and their carefree lifestyle. New British PM Andy Burnham didn’t exactly escape unscathed either. He got roasted for his meteoric rise from nowhere, his desperation to be liked and his appeal mostly being in contrast to the leaders that came before.
In only its second season, SNL UK is still working to find its footing and figure out how much it should take from its American predecessor and how much it should chart its own course. The import initially got mixed reviews during its debut season, but by the end of its short run, the buzz was starting to build. Last night’s episode appears to have continued that momentum, thanks in part to host Jeff Goldblum. The long-term goal is obviously to become intertwined with popular culture to the point where people proactively look to you for commentary, but that’s going to take a lot more than two seasons.
Regardless, SNL UK will return for the next two consecutive weeks with British comedian and actor Jamie Demetriou up first, followed by Chicken Shop Date host Amelia Dimoldenberg. Together with premiere host Jeff Goldblum, the trio are a good example of SNL’s hosting philosophy, which is to bring in all sorts of different celebrities who are able to be funny and relevant in very different ways.
As for Harry and Meghan, their future remains uncertain. The two quit the Royal Family and moved to California six years ago. A huge Netflix deal to produce content generated a lot of early momentum, but a lack of buzzy content that came from the deal, as well as some divisive media appearances, halted a lot of momentum the couple had in Hollywood. Maybe a return to the UK or even a return to a more formal role in the Royal Family will improve public perception. Regardless, you can expect SNL UK to have plenty to say about it.
