“Saturday Night Live U.K.” experienced a significant decline in ratings with Episode 3, which dropped by 95,050 viewers from its peak this season. The episode featured Riz Ahmed as the host, with musical performances by Kasabian.
The third episode attracted 130,950 viewers, representing an audience share of 1.8%. This marks a 42% decrease compared to the first episode, which had an audience of 226,000, and a 36% decline from the second episode, which drew 205,000 viewers.
The inaugural episode was hosted by Tina Fey and included cameo appearances from celebrities such as Michael Cera and Graham Norton, while the second episode featured Jamie Dornan, known for his role in “Fifty Shades.”
Episode 3 opened with a sketch involving U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, portrayed by George Fouracres, enlisting the help of soccer star Harry Kane, actor Olivia Colman, and cartoon character Peppa Pig—played by Al Nash, Emma Sidi, and Annabel Marlow, respectively—to lift the nation’s spirits.
Ahmed’s opening monologue included self-deprecating humor about British life. He participated in sketches on topics like “The Traitors,” the Easter Bunny giving birth, and a society of historic authors. His monologue garnered 41,000 views on YouTube 17 hours after being posted, while the cold open achieved 227,000 views in the same timeframe.
In the 10 pm timeslot on Saturday, “Bill Bailey: Thoughtifier” on Channel 4 and “Top of the Pops 1989” on BBC 2 both had more than double the viewership of “SNL U.K.,” with audiences of 342,000 and 444,000 respectively. Meanwhile, “The Jonathan Ross Show” on ITV nearly reached 1 million viewers, and the BBC 1 news attracted over 3 million. However, it is important to note that these channels are free-to-air, whereas Sky, which broadcasts “SNL U.K.,” is not.
Despite the competition, “SNL U.K.” was the top-performing show on Sky 1 that day. “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” which aired before it, was the second most-watched with 71,660 viewers.
Looking ahead, Jack Whitehall will host Episode 4, with Jorja Smith appearing as the musical guest.
