'I think it's going to be great,' says US star

The team behind the British version of Saturday Night Live are downplaying Seth Meyers’ involvement in the show.

The comic – who was head writer on the American original for 14 years – has been absent from his nightly US talk show this week, instead spending time meeting potential cast and writers on SNL UK.

Speaking to Graham Norton at the recording of his BBC One talk show last night, Meyers said: ‘I had doubts about it at first, but having spent a week here meeting potential writers and cast, it is very exciting. There are so many young funny people and a great comedic skill set here. I think it is going to be great.’ 

A transcript of his comments released to journalists initially stated that the 51-year-old had explicitly said: ‘I am involved’ in the UK project. Although several hours after Chortle reported those words, a publicist for the show said the transcript was inaccurate.

That came after representatives from NBCUniversal told us that assertions he was helping the British team – particularly when it came to selecting cast and writers –  were overstating the case.

Meyers was also co-anchor of the Weekend Update section of the American TV institution before landing his own NBC talk show, Late Night With Seth Meyers, in 2014.

Original SNL creator Lorne Michaels is overseeing the British production for Sky.

Earlier this week, the broadcaster’s executive Phil Edgar-Jones told an industry session: ‘Casting at the moment is well under way. We’re looking at writers and have had a great response from the comedy community. This is an opportunity for us to nurture that next generation of comic talent.’

A Sky briefing documents has asked cast and writers to be available from mid-January to early April, indicating a timeline for the show.

The core creative team has been named, with Daran Jonno Johnson of sketch team Sheeps as head writer. Liz Clare, who has called the shots on major live events such as the Bafta Film Awards, is  series director and James Longman, who previously worked on The Late Late Show with James Corden, is executive producer.

Other guests on tonight’s Graham Norton Show include Alan Carr, who spoke about his victory on Celebrity Traitors.

He said: ‘I was really proud that I was outwitting all these clever people, but I really didn’t know what I was doing or how I did it.  I could have worn the cloak to breakfast and still no one would have thought it was me.  What more could I have done?’

The comic said he ‘almost chewed through my lip’ when he was picked as a traitor and said he was ‘friends again’ with singer Paloma Faith after controversially ‘killing’ her in the programme.

Carr was on the show to plug his 2027 tour Have I Said Too Much.

He admitted: ‘I am a very slow writer.  I wanted to call it National Traitor, but I must stop milking it!  I have no theme, but every three years I love the freedom of touring.’

Also on the sofa are Kate Winslet and former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, with music from  Cat Burns – who was also on Celebrity Traitors.

The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One and iPlayer from 10.40pm

Published: 5 Dec 2025