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SNL UK: Wood hosts Doctor Who, Starmer plane parody

5/4/2026

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Summary

Animashaun Doctors SNL

SNL UK aired its May 2 episode, hosted by Aimee Lou Wood, featuring a Doctor Who sketch starring Hammed Animashaun as the Doctor and a parody of Sir Keir Starmer hijacking King Charles’s plane.
Showrunner Russell T. Davies praised the sketch as “one of the best nights ever.”
Fans on X urged Wood to become the Doctor or a companion after the sketch.

Summary

Wood Slams Sketch

Aimee Lou Wood called the U.S. SNL fake-teeth sketch “mean and unfunny” on Instagram Stories.
HBO and Sarah Sherman later apologized to Wood for the sketch.
Lorne Michaels said his goal for SNL UK was to be “the cooler of the two shows” and to avoid copying the U.S. version.
Foo Fighters were the first international musical guests on SNL UK.

History

Historical Context

Since Lorne Michaels launched NBC’s live sketch show on October 11 1975, Saturday Night Live has produced over 970 episodes and spawned international versions, from Britain to Korea. The May 2 2024 SNL UK broadcast, hosted by Aimee Lou Wood, continued this legacy by using satire of political figures, illustrating how the original format still fuels cross-border public debate.

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Animashaun Doctors SNL

SNL UK aired its May 2 episode, hosted by Aimee Lou Wood, featuring a Doctor Who sketch starring Hammed Animashaun as the Doctor and a parody of Sir Keir Starmer hijacking King Charles’s plane.
Showrunner Russell T. Davies praised the sketch as “one of the best nights ever.”
Fans on X urged Wood to become the Doctor or a companion after the sketch.

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