Weeks out from the launch of its first season, Saturday Night Live UK has announced its inaugural writing staff.
The team includes Al Roberts, Ayo Adenekan, Bella Hull, Celya AB, Charlie Skelton, Chris Cantrill, Ellie Fulcher, Gráinne Maguire, Hari Kanth, Humphrey Ker, James Farmer, Jonno Johnson, Joseph Moore, Keith Akushie, Laura Claxton, Lorna Rose Treen, Louis Waymouth, Nathan Foad, Omar Badawy, and Omodara Olatunji.
We previously were first to tell you that Johnson has been tapped as Head Writer. Meanwhile, Skelton is newly announced as Head Writer for Weekend Update. As previously announced, the Sky Original series’ cast of 11 includes Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi, and Paddy Young.
To learn more about Saturday Night Live UK‘s writers, read on.
Head Writer Johnson told us, “The number of funny, talented writers we have got to work on SNL UK is ludicrous. Some of them have been doing this for years, some of them it’s their first ever writing job. All of them make me giddy to come to work each day. Could not imaginably feel luckier that we get to make this show together.”
Phil Edgar Jones, Sky’s Executive Director of Unscripted Originals, added: “As SNL UK races towards launch our brilliant team of writers are already hard at work crafting some sublime and (importantly) funny sketches for our equally brilliant cast to perform. I’ve been lucky enough to attend a couple of table reads and I am delighted to report I cried laughing. We cannot wait to share the fun with a wider audience.”
Plans for the first-ever British incarnation of SNL were officially confirmed last April, with the six-episode first installment to premiere on Sky on March 21. The show will be available for streaming on the UK service NOW. Universal Television Alternative Studio’s UK team is producing alongside Lorne Michael’s Broadway Video. Michaels is exec producing, with James Longman serving as Lead Producer, and Liz Clare as Director.
SNL UK was commissioned by Edgar-Jones, Sky Commissioning Executive Lisa Clark, and Cecile Frot-Coutaz, who serves as CEO of Sky Studios & Chief Content Officer for Sky. Universal Television Alternative Studio’s UK Productions is overseen by Managing Director Helen Kruger Bratt. Shanna Baynard will serve as Executive in Charge of Production, with Andy Charles Smith as the Lead Producer for UTAS UK Productions, alongside Sam Salter as Production Executive.
SNL UK Writing Team
Al Roberts
Al is one third of sketch group Sheeps and is best known for Stath Lets Flats and Starstruck. He has appeared in Man Like Mobeen, Everyone Else Burns, This Is Going To Hurt, Industry and more.
Ayo Adenekan
Ayo is a stand-up comedian and joint winner of Best Newcomer at the ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2025 and won the Bestie Award for Emerging Talent. He was also a BBC New Comedy Award finalist in 2025. His debut show Black Mediocrity sold out its Edinburgh Fringe run with additional dates added.
Bella Hull
Bella is a stand‑up comedian and writer who has appeared on Have I Got News For You, Stand Up For Live Comedy, The Stand Up Sketch Show, and Comedy Central. She has taken three shows to Edinburgh, including her sell-out 2025 show Doctors Hate Her.
Celya AB
Celya is a writer and standup comedian originally from Paris. She has written for The Great British Sewing Bee, Channel 4 and Comedy Central, as well as James Acaster’s Springleaf. She won Chortle Best Newcomer in 2022 and was a Funny Women finalist. She is a regular writer on various radio shows and has appeared on Live At The Apollo and The News Quiz. She has millions of views across social platforms.
Charlie Skelton
Charlie Skelton is a comedy writer and journalist. He has worked as a script editor on shows including Channel 4’s 10 O’Clock Live, Frankie Boyle’s New World Order, You Have Been Watching, and the radio show So Wrong It’s Right. His writing credits include Have I Got News For You, 8 Out of 10 Cats, and The Big Fat Quiz of the Year. He co‑wrote Once More, With Feeling with Victoria Coren Mitchell, and reported on the Bilderberg Group for The Guardian from 2009 to 2014. Charlie also co-founded The Friday Thing and The London News Review.
Chris Cantrill
Chris is a 3-time Edinburgh Comedy Award–nominated comedian, writer and actor. He co‑created and stars in BBC Radio 4’s Icklewick FM. He is one half of double act The Delightful Sausage, with panel, radio and TV credits across BBC and Channel 4.
Ellie Fulcher
Ellie is a writer and facilitator from South-East London. She worked at the Royal Court Theatre with a range of writers to support their development. Ellie won the OVERHEARD podcast competition hosted by Soho Theatre in partnership with NBCUniversal International Studios and StoryHunter with The Ballad of a Virgin who can’t drive in 2021, and also had a dramaturg role on Soho Theatre’s Eat The Rich (but maybe not me mates x).
Gráinne Maguire
Gráinne is an award-winning Irish writer and stand-up. Her credits include The Last Leg, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Late Night Mash, the BAFTAs and MTV Awards. She has had multiple TV and radio appearances including Dave’s UnSpun with Matt Forde, Comedy Central’s Alternative Comedy Experience , Radio 4’s The Now Show, An Idiot’s Guide, Breaking The News and Radio 2’s What If?
Hari Kanth
Hari is a writer and improviser. He has written for Horrible Science and The Now Show. His first sitcom script, Kothu, was a winner of the British Comedy Guide’s Spring Sitcom Selection and earned him a place on Andy Riley’s mentoring scheme.
Humphrey Ker
Humphrey is an actor, comedian, writer and the community director of Wrexham football club, featured in the EMMY award-winning documentary series Welcome to Wrexham. He won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Newcomer and has appeared on Have I Got News For You, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Whose Line Is It Anyway as well as hosted Sketchorama.
James Farmer
James is a Welsh writer and performer who has toured three sell-out stand‑up shows. His writing credits include Frankie Boyle’s New World Order, The Last Leg, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Last One Laughing, Roast Battle and Michael McIntyre‘s Big Show.
Jonno Johnson
Jonno (Daran Johnson) is a writer, comedian and composer, one third of sketch group SHEEPS. His credits span Wedding Season, Siblings, Flat TV, Elliott From Earth and the award‑winning Parlement. He also created Year Friends and works as a composer/lyricist.
Joseph Moore
Joseph Moore is a New Zealand-born comedian, writer and director known for Funny Girls, Jono & Ben, Taskmaster NZ/Australia and Guy Montgomery’s Guy-Mont Spelling Bee (BBC). He is one half of Two Hearts and has performed internationally, with film projects in development.
Keith Akushie
Keith is an Executive Producer and writer on HBO’s The Franchise. He began his TV career on Channel 4’s Fresh Meat. His BBC3 series Siblings ran for two seasons. His play Hostage won the 2010 Harry Porter Prize. He has produced, written and directed extensively across TV and film, including co-writing The Festival.
Laura Claxton
Laura has written for Never Mind The Buzzcocks, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Have I Got News For You, BabyCow and Channel 4. She also has experience in chat shows, reality TV and scripted comedy, and is currently working on a commission with Fudge Park Productions.
Lorna Rose Treen
Lorna is a comedian, writer and actor winner of the Funny Women Stage Award, Chortle Best Newcomer, and Dave’s Best Joke. She co‑wrote BBC Radio 4’s Time of the Week and has a strong online presence with millions of views.
Louis Waymouth
Louis is best known for his work on The Late Late Show with James Corden, and has written on The Armstrong and Miller Show, Psychobitches, Me and My Monsters, and the Grammy Awards. He co‑created Knighthood & Decoy.
Nathan Foad
Nathan is a comedy writer and actor best known for creating, writing and executive producing Newark, Newark. He starred in HBO’s Our Flag Means Death and has written for a wide range of BBC and streaming projects.
Omar Badawy
Omar is a comedian and satirist originally from Egypt. He began stand-up in 2019 and won the So You Think You‘re Funny award in his first year. His online content has attracted millions of views.
Omodara Olatunji
Omodara is a writer and performer who has been active on the stand‑up circuit for two years and her writing credits include ITV’s sketch show Say! Less!
English (US) ·