Two episodes into its debut season, Saturday Night Live UK has seen a slight drop in ratings. But it's an expected development following a heavily promoted premiere, and fans are still showing up for the show in other ways.
According to official BARB figures supplied by overnights.tv, the sketch series drew 205,000 viewers for its second episode, hosted by Jamie Dornan. That's down from 226,000 for its inaugural outing. The audience share also dipped slightly, sliding from 3.2% in week one to 3.17% in week two.
While any decline in viewership might raise eyebrows on paper, the context here is important. New shows, especially ones with the built-in curiosity and hype of a format like Saturday Night Live, often benefit from a larger premiere audience. Viewers tune in to see what the buzz is about, and a natural drop typically follows in subsequent weeks once that initial curiosity fades.
In that sense, the week-to-week drop for Saturday Night Live UK is hardly surprising and doesn’t necessarily signal trouble for the series. In fact, holding onto the bulk of its premiere audience suggests a stable early fanbase as the show continues to find its footing.
The American version experienced something similar at the start of this season. The second episode, hosted by Amy Poehler, couldn't match the viewership of the season 51 premiere hosted by Bad Bunny. Ratings have continued to fluctuate, peaking with the December 20 episode hosted by Ariana Grande and dropping to a low point on November 1 with Miles Teller.
For Saturday Night Live UK, there are also encouraging signs beyond traditional overnight ratings. The show became available to stream in the United States via Peacock, opening the door to a significantly larger audience. International viewership, particularly in the U.S., could play a meaningful role in the show’s long-term performance.
Additionally, digital engagement appears to be trending in the right direction. Clips posted to the show’s official YouTube channel have seen increased viewership following the second episode, suggesting that audiences are discovering the show beyond the television broadcast. The cold open from episode two has crossed one million views on YouTube, with two other sketches topping 500,000 views in a matter of days.
It’s also worth remembering that Saturday Night Live U.K. is only a quarter of the way through its eight-episode first season. With six shows still to air, there’s plenty of time for momentum to build, word-of-mouth to spread, and standout sketches or performances to break through.