‘SNL U.K.’ Turns Oasis Into Russian Hackers Targeting PM Andy Burnham

Oasis became a Russian psyop in the third episode of “Saturday Night Live U.K.” Season 2, with the Manchester duo tricking British Prime Minister Andy Burnham into handing over his personal details by inviting him to join the band.

The surreal cold open cast George Fouracres as Burnham and Celeste Dring as Secretary of State Angela Rayner. It opened with Burnham reflecting proudly on a recent speech at the UN in New York.

“It’s just like Manchester, except the trams go underground,” he said.

Rayner praised the address. “I tell you what, you absolutely smashed that speech to the UN,” she said. “About time someone stood up to Russia. They hate us because we have freedom and Greggs.”

Burnham then took aim at Moscow’s interference in British politics. “I’m sick of Russia trying to divide us people,” he said. “We can divide ourselves, thank you very much.”

At that point Liam Gallagher (Jack Shep) and Noel Gallagher (Freddie Meredith) appeared. The brothers told Burnham that an injury had left them without a guitarist and asked whether the Prime Minister could fill in for Liam at their next gig. Burnham agreed, then handed over his personal details at the band’s request without hesitation.

The ruse collapsed almost immediately. Noel and Liam began donning Russian accents.

“Oasis is and has always been Russian psyop,” Noel declared.

Faced with the threat that the U.K. would become a Russian puppet state, Burnham refused to capitulate. “Just because you have the power to do something, doesn’t mean you should,” he said. “I, for example, could hold a general election tomorrow and easily smash it. But as I announced yesterday, I won’t do. And I could. Maybe I should. And I will. But I won’t. Unless I do. Which I won’t. Unless I do. And that is true leadership.”

“What do you think, comrade?” Noel asked Liam.

“Maybe,” Liam responded.

When Burnham asked him to speak up, Noel delivered the punchline to the tune of “Wonderwall”: “I said mayyyybeeee.”

The sketch pushes the show’s political satire into absurdist territory, grafting Britpop nostalgia onto anxieties about Russian disinformation. With “Wonderwall” supplying the final beat, the episode signals that “SNL U.K.” is willing to bend both its music references and its political targets in pursuit of a cold-open punchline — a formula it will likely keep testing as Season 2 continues.