SNL UK lines up Jack Whitehall and Jorja Smith for April episode

Saturday Night Live UK is starting to properly find its feet, and its latest host announcement feels like a sensible bit of casting rather than a swing for the fences. Jack Whitehall will front the 11th of April episode, with Jorja Smith on hand as the musical guest. Jorja is performing a week after Riz Ahmed hosts, which feels like a missed opportunity considering they both worked on the new Prime show Bait together.

SNL UK is Britain’s take on the long-running US institution, a live, late-night sketch show built around rotating celebrity hosts, a core cast of comedians, and a mix of sketches, monologues and musical performances.

It airs live from London every Saturday night, which means part of the appeal (and risk) is that anything can happen, and not every joke is going to land. But that's part of the fun.

Whitehall stepping in makes a lot of sense in that context. He’s got the stand-up background, years of panel show experience, and enough mainstream pull to carry an episode without it feeling like a risk. It’s not the boldest booking, but at this stage, that’s probably a good thing. SNL UK still feels like it’s working out its identity.

The Last Supper | SNL UK - YouTube

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The early signs have been fairly positive. The first few episodes, led by Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan, and next up Riz Ahmed alongside Kasabian, have drawn decent reviews, even if it’s not been a complete knockout. Both The Guardian and The Independent landed on three stars, which feels about right: solid, occasionally very funny, but still figuring out where it stands.

A lot of that comes down to the cast, which includes the likes of Hammed Animashaun, Ania Magliano and Larry Dean. There are flashes of something really good in there, especially when the show leans into a more British, slightly darker tone rather than trying to mirror its US counterpart too closely.

After Whitehall’s episode, the show will take a short break before returning on April 25 to round out its now-extended eight-episode first season. For now, this feels like another steady step in the right direction, not flashy, but exactly the kind of name that helps a show like this bed in properly.

• Harry Potter, hair-raising gigs, and haphazardly navigating nudists: Jack Whitehall talks taking on a baddie in his new show, Malice

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