Britain’s version of Saturday Night Live targeted American comedian Shane Gillis and featured a surprise Donald Trump impersonation during its broadcast on October 18, 2026. The episode connected transatlantic sketch comedy with commentary on a recent U.S. television controversy and a crossover appearance by American cast member James Austin Johnson, according to USA Today.
The British program addressed heavy criticism surrounding Gillis’s remarks about women’s gym clothing and his accidental use of an uncensored swear word during his October 10 hosting appearance on the American edition of Saturday Night Live.
Weekend Update Targets Shane Gillis Over Gym Clothing Remarks
During the British program’s Weekend Update segment, comedian Ania Magliano referenced the backlash while discussing a news story about an Oktoberfest ride operator who offered women free cycling shorts to prevent inappropriate recording.
Magliano connected the clothing controversy to broader concerns about women being filmed or viewed inappropriately in public spaces. She told the audience that while the shorts might protect women from one issue, they could expose them to something worse. An image of Gillis hosting the U.S. show then flashed onscreen.
Magliano mocked Gillis’s accidental drop of the f-bomb during a live U.S. sketch, telling viewers, “Oh, Shane, you’re not allowed to say that,” before using strong language to criticize his performance. Unlike American broadcast standards governed by the Federal Communications Commission, swear words are legally permitted on late-night British television.
Broader Backlash Against the U.S. Monologue
Gillis faced substantial public criticism across social media following his October 10 monologue, where he joked that women “dress like whores” when visiting the gym. Several prominent figures publicly denounced the remarks:
- Actor Dan Levy posted on Instagram Stories: “Women wearing short shorts to the gym does not make them whores. It makes the men calling them whores misogynists.”
- Former SNL cast member Ego Nwodim shared a gym selfie on social media with the caption “reporting for duty” in satirical defiance.
- Longtime Weekend Update anchor Michael Che offered a measured perspective during an appearance on the Today show, stating, “That’s comedy. You think it’s funny, and then some people don’t.”
Gillis has not publicly addressed the widespread backlash stemming from his opening monologue.
James Austin Johnson Makes Surprise Trump Cameo on SNL UK
Beyond the Weekend Update critique, the episode featured a cross-Atlantic cameo during its cold open. James Austin Johnson appeared as President Donald Trump, marking the first time Johnson’s acclaimed Trump impression crossed over onto SNL UK.
The satirical sketch depicted Trump interrupting a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, played by Freddie Meredith, and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, played by George Fouracres. In character, Trump informed Burnham that he wanted them to swap political offices.
“I take over the UK. You take America,” Trump told Burnham in the sketch. “I tell you, that place is a real mess. You’re going to hate it. It’s an awful, awful job. It’s a terrible place full of disgusting people.”
Johnson’s Trump also joked about bracing for a difficult midterm election cycle and broke the fourth wall in a meta moment by poking fun at the British production team for hiring an American actor to play the U.S. president. He quipped directly to the camera, “You don’t have one guy who can play Trump?”
The crossover appearance occurred because the American production of Saturday Night Live was on a scheduled break and did not air a live new episode on October 17. The U.S. show returned later in the month with actor Inde Navarrette hosting.
