SNL U.K. tackles Meghan Markle, Glee, Bond and Radio Four Extra

By Grace Kim

Four stories ran through Saturday Night Live U.K.’s latest Weekend Update (the programme’s topical-news segment): Meghan Markle’s father, the “Glee” reboot, James Bond auditions and BBC Radio Four Extra. The weekend segment brought together co-hosts Paddy Young and Ania Magliano, who shared presenting duties and used topical commentary as a route into television, film and broadcasting.

Young first addressed allegations that emerged in the previous week regarding Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle. Young put it this way: “In royal news, it’s been a big 24 hours for Meghan Markle, whose dad has been accused of being an alleged pedophile, in another pathetic attempt to win over the British public,” he said.

The passage did not identify who made the allegations or set out supporting evidence. Satire (comedy that mocks a recognisable target) supplied the mechanism, reducing the allegation to “another pathetic attempt to win over the British public.”

Young then extended the joke: “In 2025, Thomas Markle moved to the Philippines in a sure sign of his innocence. If the allegations about Meghan Markle’s father are true and he is a pedophile, there is a genuine chance Meghan could be considered royal.” Within the sketch, the reversal turned an allegation into a possible qualification for royal status.

The conditional “If” kept the assertion inside the sketch’s fictional premise rather than stating the allegation as proven fact. That distinction matters because the earlier passage supplied no evidence.

Magliano next brought up the recently announced “Glee” reboot, taking aim at the musical comedy itself. Her account was: “This week, it was announced that the musical comedy ‘Glee’ will be rebooted on Disney+,” said Magliano. “The original series was famously struck by repeated tragedies, including multiple cast deaths, and also being written, produced, and broadcast.”

A reboot (a new version of an existing series) supplied the trigger, while the joke treated continuation itself as the punchline. The announcement, as Magliano described it, included no casting, creative or release details in the quoted segment. What it added was a comic reading of the original show’s grim history.

Young then turned to the James Bond auditions, which the segment said were taking place that weekend. Auditions are the selection process for a role, and Young told the audience: “I know this is late, but I’d like to put myself forward.”

He immediately, deliberately, fluffed his line and blurted: “The James Bond — bollocks.” The manoeuvre turned the co-host into an over-eager candidate, then used the unfinished title to pull the joke away from himself.

Young also took aim at the BBC and said: “In big media news, Radio Four Extra has announced it will close in what is sure to be devastating news for its listener.” The quoted segment offered no closure date or further explanation for the announcement.

What does this change for viewers?

The practical change is framing rather than new information. The quoted segment did not establish that the royal allegations were true, supply details of the “Glee” plan, announce a Bond casting choice or explain Radio Four Extra’s closure.

It compressed four items into jokes that depended on abrupt tonal shifts. The royal allegation became a qualification for royalty; “Glee” history became a joke against restarting the series; Bond auditions became a mock job application; Radio Four Extra’s closure became mock solemnity.

That compression is the segment’s central mechanism. It makes the items cohere through tonal shifts rather than a shared subject. The trade-off is clear: topical speed and memorability can outrun scrutiny.

Future episodes will show whether the format can preserve topical speed without turning conditional allegations into apparent facts or reducing public-interest decisions to punchlines.