Bonus: Surprises guests Graham Norton, Nicola Coughlan, and Michael Cera crashed her monologue!

Tina Fey kills as first-ever SNL UK host, tells British audience she did it because ‘none of you f---ers would’

Bonus: Surprises guests Graham Norton, Nicola Coughlan, and Michael Cera crashed her monologue!

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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on March 22, 2026 2:26 p.m. ET

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Tina Fey and Graham Norton on 'SNL U.K.'. Credit:

Tina Fey just made TV history across the pond.

Over the weekend, the iconic *Saturday Night Live* alum brought her bona fides to London, becoming the first-ever host of* SNL UK*, the British version of the beloved, long-running sketch comedy series.

But Fey found an even more flattering way to describe the gig as she stepped out on stage to deliver the show's inaugural monologue.

"Guys, I am the youngest person ever to host* SNL UK,*" she quipped, earning a round of applause from the live audience. "My name is Tina Fey. Here in the U.K., you might know me as the teacher from *Mean Girls*, or you might remember a long time ago when I played Sarah Palin on *SNL* U.S."

She added, "Or maybe you feel like you recognize me as the lady from the show *Veep*," she said, referencing Julia Louis-Dreyfus as an image of the actress, also wearing glasses, flashed on screen. "And that's fine too."

Tina Fey on 'SNL UK'.

Dipping her toes into politics, Fey then posed the question, "Why do a U.K. version of *SNL*?" The answer? "Like so many large-scale American operations these days, no one really knows why."

Fey, who has a very long history with *SNL* dating back to 1997, then broke down how the show will work for its U.K. audience and expressed excitement over the fresh lineup of cast members.

"I'm so excited for you to meet your cast. They are wonderful," she said, then joked, "I can't even begin to understand them when they speak. One boy is either Scottish or choking. But their energy is A+."

She then promised to answer any questions that fans may have along the way. Enter the first celebrity cameo of the night. Immediately, an audience member raised their hand with a question, the cameras cutting over to reveal… *Bridgerton* and *Derry Girls *star Nicola Coughlan.

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"It is lovely to see you," Coughlan told Fey. "But my question is, if this is *SNL UK,* then why are you the first host? Shouldn't it be, like, a British icon like David Beckham? Or Judi Dench? Or, like, Shrek?"

"Shrek is British?" Fey asked.

"Scotland is in Britain, Tina," Coughlan snarked. "Educate yourself."

Michael Cera on 'SNL UK'.

Returning to Coughlan's question, Fey responded, "How do I put this politely? None of you f---ers would do it. Does that make sense?"

After Coughlan, Michael Cera revealed that he, too, was in the crowd, prompting some confusion from Fey, who asked, "Michael, why are you here? You're not British."

The *Scott Pilgrim vs. the World* actor replied, "I'm Canadian. It's part of the commonwealth. Educate yourself."

Fey then had her monologue derailed by the night's third celebrity cameo — British talk show host Graham Norton, who swiftly jumped up on stage with note cards, promising to help Fey endear herself to U.K. viewers by interviewing her.

"Let me help you," Norton said. "I have a gift for making American celebrities likable to a British audience."

He then had the comedian showcase her impressive knowledge of British comedies — and her solid British accent — by reciting iconic lines from famous U.K shows, including *Keeping Up Appearances, Fawlty Towers, Monty Python, Are You Being Served,* and *Eastenders*. Fey even offered her take on the much-memed "Jet 2 Holiday" voice-over before officially kicking off *SNL UK*'s first episode.

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Unfortunately for Fey, her status as the show's youngest host will last only one week. *Fifty Shades of Grey* alum Jamie Dornan will usurp her throne next week, when he hosts the show on March 28, followed by Riz Ahmed, who'll take the reins on April 4.

Watch Fey deliver *SNL UK's *first-ever* *monologue above.

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW SNL”