“Saturday Night Live U.K.” revisited the controversial connection between Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein in a skit that humorously suggested the scandal was a long-term strategy to enhance King Charles’s image.
In the previous week’s premiere, breakout star Jack Shep portrayed Princess Diana. This week, he took on the role of Prince Andrew during a fictional meeting at MI5 headquarters in 1997, soon after Diana’s passing.
“Since Diana’s death, public sentiment has turned against Prince Charles. Yet, he will eventually become king,” says a character played by Celeste Dring as an MI5 agent. “We need to improve his image. Unfortunately, Your Highness, the only way to make our future king more likable is by making those around him less so.”
“I understand,” replies Shep, as Andrew. “I love my brother, I love my country, and I’m ready to do whatever it takes.”
Another agent, portrayed by Hammed Animashaun, presents Andrew with a book outlining a “29-year plan” to “gradually convince the entire country you are a… well, read for yourself.”
With evident shock, Shep, as Andrew, questions: “You really want me to do all of this? Even the part about befriending a notorious pedophile, both before and after conviction? Isn’t there any other way to help my brother’s reputation?”
Larry Dean, as Peter Mandelson, and Emma Sidi, as Sarah Ferguson, also join the scene, playing roles of others enlisted as “agents” to bolster Charles’s image.
“If you find yourself overwhelmed, just say the code word and we’ll intervene to save you,” Dring’s character assures. When Andrew, played by Shep, inquires about the code word, Animashaun responds: “Pizza Express, Woking,” alluding to Andrew’s well-known alibi concerning Epstein.
“Thank you, gentlemen, and farewell to the man you love,” concludes Shep as Andrew. “I’ll return in 2026, ready to proudly declare… Live from London, it’s Saturday night!”
