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Saturday Night Live UK has announced its next three celebrity hosts – and Rivals, Happy Valley and Wicked fans are going to be very happy.
The second series began earlier this month, with Jurassic Park star Jeff Goldblum, comedian Jamie Demetriou and Chicken Shop Date presenter Amelia Dimoldenberg hosting the first three shows.
After a weekend off, the show will be back on 10 October, and it’ll be Rivals star Danny Dyer hosting the mid-series premiere. The 49-year-old broke out into British film after starring in Human Traffic and The Football Factory, before taking on roles in EastEnders, Rivals and Mr Bigstuff, for which he won a Bafta.
Dyer will be joined by singer-songwriter Sasha Keable as the musical guest during his episode.
The following week, Happy Valley star James Norton will be taking on hosting duties, while Mike Skinner’s band The Streets will be the musical guest. Norton is best known for playing villain Tommy Lee Royce in the BBC drama, as well as for his roles in Grantchester, War & Peace and, more recently, House of the Dragon.
The third announced host for series two is star of screen and stage Cynthia Erivo, who’ll be joined by musical guest Blossoms, on 24 October. Academy Award nominee Erivo starred as witch Elphaba in the Wicked films and previously took on roles in Harriet, Luther: The Fallen Sun and Strictly Come Dancing as a guest judge.
After a few months away, SNL UK returned to our screens in September, with The Independent’s Nick Hilton giving its first episode three stars. “It still feels a bit doomed,” he wrote, adding that its lack of Hollywood names makes the show feel “parochial when it should be a showcase for the deep reserves of untapped talent still bubbling away under British soil”.
The first series debuted in March this year, with 11 comedians becoming the UK spin-off’s original cast members: Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi and Paddy Young. For series two, Such Brave Girls star Freddie Meredith joined the ensemble.
Series one was kicked off by American star Tina Fey, while Jamie Dornan, Riz Ahmed, Aimee Lou Wood, Nicola Coughlan, Hannah Waddingham and Ncuti Gatwa also hosted throughout the series.
Saturday Night Live UK returns on 10 October at 10pm on Sky One.
