Saturday Night Live UK has confirmed its first set of famous guests and musical acts for the highly-anticipated series.
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Kicking things off on Saturday 21 March will be Tina Fey, celebrated for her era defining years as head writer and cast member on the US version, and will be joined by Isle of Wight indie sensations Wet Leg.
The following Saturday night (28 March) will star acclaimed actor Jamie Dornan, who will be joined by BRIT award-winning band Wolf Alice. On 4 April, actor Riz Ahmed will host and will be accompanied by titans of rock, Kasabian.
Each Saturday night at 10pm, live from London, a different host will take to the stage alongside the show's inaugural cast: Celeste Dring (This Country), Hammed Animashaun (Black Ops), Larry Dean (Live at the Apollo), George Fouracres (Steve), Jack Shep (Big Boys), Ayoade Bamgboye (Rise and Shine with Channel 9), Al Nash (Michael McIntyre's Big Show), Paddy Young (Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping), Ania Magliano (Taskmaster), Annabel Marlow (Six The Musical) and Emma Sidi (Taskmaster).
Tina Fey will host the first night of Saturday Night Live UK. Kevin Winter/Getty Images
It was announced late last year that the UK would be getting its own version of the legendary late night comedy show, and anticipation has been building for who will host the show.
As ever, each episode will be staged in front of a live studio audience, featuring an opening monologue, topical sketches, live music, and a UK take on SNL’s iconic news satire, Weekend Update.
Phil Edgar Jones, executive director of unscripted originals at Sky said of the series: "We all need a laugh like never before, so we’re beyond excited to bring Saturday Night Live to the UK, only 50 short years after it first launched in the US.
"The show’s long-standing legacy of discovering and nurturing outstanding comedy talent speaks for itself, and this UK version will build on that legacy with the support of Lorne Michaels, a brilliant local production team, and an exciting new generation of voices. Saturday nights are looking bright!"
Saturday Night Live UK launches on to Sky and NOW on Saturday 21 March.
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Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
