Saturday Night Live UK is already making waves after one episode, and it appears to have picked up a very high-profile viewer. The world's most famous late-night TV fan gave the show's premiere a boost after the sketch show's shoutout.
The cold open carried plenty of pressure because like any episode, it has to set the tone and get the audience on the cast's side early. The expectations were even higher for the inaugural episode of Saturday Night Live UK, and like its American cousin, the show went political right off the bat.
The first sketch of the night featured cast member George Fouracres portraying a nervous, shaky UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In the sketch, Starmer is hyped up by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy (played by Hammed Animashaun) and a Gen Z adviser on how to properly communicate with Trump.
The premise centered on Starmer nervously attempting to navigate a potential phone call with the U.S. president amid tensions over the war in Iran. Fouracres’ Starmer tries to avoid the call altogether, referring to Trump as “that scary, scary wonderful president.” When he finally responds via voice note, the character delivers a line that sums up the sketch’s perspective on the British leader: “I’m afraid I can’t go to war with you, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be chums.”
Donald Trump took to Truth Social social media feed to share a clip from the show’s premiere. And while just Trump's voice is heard on the phone, it clearly made a strong enough impression to catch the president's attention.
It’s not hard to see why Donald Trump might have enjoyed the bit. The sketch leans heavily into portraying Keir Starmer as timid and ineffective, qualities Trump has frequently criticized in political the British prime minister. Plus, the bit steered clear of directly insulting or lampooning Trump.
At the same time, there’s a strong argument that Trump may have missed part of the joke. While Starmer is clearly the immediate target, the sketch also pokes fun at the idea that world leaders must carefully tiptoe around Trump’s unpredictable and volatile persona.
What makes the moment especially notable is how unusual it is. Trump has a long and well-documented history of attacking the American version of Saturday Night Live, particularly during his first term in office. He frequently blasted the show on social media for its portrayal of him, most famously the Emmy-winning impersonation by Alec Baldwin, which became a recurring source of frustration for the president.
It's also undeniably a win for Saturday Night Live UK. Getting the president of the United States to publicly acknowledge the show and boost its premiere cold open to a massive audience is the kind of exposure most new series could only dream of. So no matter where in the world late-night TV is going on, including Trump is a recipe for success.