American comedian Tina Fey began her career on Saturday Night Live back in the Nineties – and now she’s reportedly set to help a slew of rising stars start theirs on the British version.
Saturday Night Live UK is said to be welcoming Fey, 55, as its first-ever host when it kicks off in March.
The live sketch show will air weekly from 21 March, with its cast of 11 comics performing skits alongside a different celebrity host every Saturday.
According to The Sun, SNL legend Fey will be the first to present the live show. “Though there might be some surprise to find there isn’t a Brit presenting the show, there is some logic to this signing,” a source told the publication on Sunday (1 March).
“There’s a sense that the American show is handing the baton on to Britain by having Tina hosting the launch.”
They added that Fey is proof of “how huge someone can become” through SNL and that there are likely to be British stars hosting the show from that week onwards. The Independent has contacted Fey’s representative for comment.
Sky was approached but declined to confirm any SNL UK presenters.
Fey originally joined SNL as a writer in 1997 before becoming the show’s first female head writer two years later. She began performing in sketches in 2000, staying on the show for another six years.
She went on to create and star in sitcom 30 Rock, which won 10 Emmys during its seven-year run, as well as Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and The Four Seasons. Fey also wrote and starred in 2004 classic Mean Girls, before reprising her role as Ms. Sharon Norbury in the musical adaptation 20 years later.
She has also starred in blockbusters like Megamind, Muppets Most Wanted and A Haunting in Venice.
SNL UK announced its cast of up-and-coming comics earlier in February, with Black Ops star Hammed Animashaun, Taskmaster’s Ania Magliano, Ghosts’ Emma Sidi and stand-up Ayoade Bamgboye performing sketches on the show.
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They’ll be joined by Mock the Week’s Larry Dean, The Windsors’ Celeste Dring, The Franchise’s George Fouracres, social media stars Al Nash and Jack Shep, Everyone Else Burns actor Paddy Young and musical performer Annabel Marlow.
Produced by SNL creator Lorne Michaels, the British spin-off is set to follow the original’s format – featuring an opening monologue, live music, topical sketches and its own satirical Weekend Update desk.
The US show – which first aired in 1975 – has launched the careers of Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, Amy Poehler and Andy Samberg among other big American stars.
It found itself making headlines this weekend for the wrong reasons this weekend however over a sketch about the racial slur incident at last weekend’s Baftas. In the episode hosted by Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie, a sketch saw cast members play controversial celebrities, including Mel Gibson, JK Rowling, Bill Cosby and Kanye West, who all inexplicably claim Tourette’s is to blame for their problematic behaviour.
The skit was called “genuinely shameful” by The News Agents podcast host Lewis Goodall, while comedian Al Murray said it was “vile”.
