SNL April 25, 2026 marks the return of Saturday Night Live UK from its scheduled break, with Irish actress Nicola Coughlan best known globally as Penelope Featherington in Bridgertonand Clare Devlin in Derry Girls stepping into the host chair for what promises to be one of the most high-profile SNL UK episodes of the series so far. Rock legends Foo Fighters join as the evening’s musical guests, delivering what will be a first live SNL UK performance for a band that has been one of the world’s best-selling rock acts for over three decades. The episode airs on Peacock and comes after April 18 aired no new SNL UK episode a scheduled hiatus week that left sketch comedy fans waiting an extra seven days.
Who Is Nicola Coughlan? The Irish Star Hosting SNL UK
Nicola Coughlan brings one of the most distinctive dual-audience profiles in contemporary television to the SNL UK host desk. British and American viewers know her from two very different worlds the Regency-era drawing rooms of Bridgertonon Netflix, where she plays the romantic lead Penelope Featherington across three seasons, and the sharp-tongued Northern Irish schoolgirl Clare in Channel 4’s beloved Derry Girls.
Coughlan’s comedic instincts come pre-installed from years of ensemble sitcom work Derry Girlsin particular demanded timing, physical commitment, and the ability to hold her own within one of British comedy’s sharpest ensemble casts. Reports suggest her SNL UK preparation involved multiple script development sessions with the writers’ room this week, with early indications pointing to sketches that draw on her Bridgertonpersona and her Irish background as primary material.
Foo Fighters: Rock Royalty Returns to the SNL Stage
Foo Fighters bring a catalogue that spans 30 years to the SNL UK stage on April 25 the band’s first performance on any SNL format since their appearances on the US edition in earlier years. The band, founded by Dave Grohl following the dissolution of Nirvana, has delivered 11 studio albums, 12 Grammy Awards, and a global touring reputation that positions them as one of rock music’s most durable acts.
Not publicly disclosed are the specific songs Foo Fighters will perform during their SNL UK appearance, though reports suggest the set will draw from their recent catalogue alongside at least one song from their classic-era output — a pattern consistent with how established rock acts structure SNL musical guest slots to balance current radio presence with crowd-familiar material.
SNL UK: What It Is and How It Differs From the US Show
Saturday Night Live UKlaunched on Peacock as a British adaptation of the long-running NBC format, producing original sketches, cold opens, and musical performances with a UK-specific cast and writing team. The show operates on its own weekly schedule independently of the US edition meaning US SNL and SNL UK can and do air on different weeks, enter different hiatus periods, and feature entirely separate guest lineups.
The April 18 hiatus that sent viewers searching for a new episode applied specifically to SNL UK’s Peacock schedule, not to US SNL which aired its most recent new episode on April 11, 2026, when Colman Domingohosted with Anittaas the musical guest for Season 51, Episode 17.
US SNL Season 51: Where the American Show Stands
While SNL UK prepares for its April 25 return, the US Saturday Night LiveSeason 51 continues its run with a string of high-profile upcoming episodes confirmed in the schedule.
The US SNL Season 51 upcoming episode lineup includes:
- May 2, 2026 — Olivia Rodrigo (host and musical guest, performing double duty in Studio 8H)
- May 9, 2026 — Matt Damon hosts with Noah Kahan as musical guest
- May 16, 2026 — Will Ferrell hosts with Paul McCartney as musical guest — widely expected to serve as the Season 51 finale
Season 51 has already delivered a notable run of episodes including Jack Black’shigh-energy fifth hosting appearance on April 5, Harry Stylespulling double duty as host and musical guest on March 14, and Ryan Goslingreturning for his fourth hosting stint on March 8 an episode that critics rated as the season’s weakest despite Gosling’s well-documented tendency to corpse during live sketches.
SNL Season 51 Highlights Worth Revisiting Before April 25
For viewers catching up before tuning into Nicola Coughlan’s SNL UK debut, Season 51 of the US edition has produced several standout moments worth reviewing:
- Bad Bunny / Doja Cat (Season Premiere, October 2025) — Bad Bunny opened the season with Jon Hamm appearing in the cold open, with Doja Cat handling musical duties in what set an energetic tone for the season
- Teyana Taylor debut — Taylor’s first hosting appearance generated what reviewers described as the season’s best cold open, featuring a surprise Mike Myers cameo that social media clips spread widely
- Harry Styles hosts and performs (March 14) — Styles’ return as both host and musical guest after nearly seven years drew one of the season’s biggest audiences, with a sketch involving SNL UK cast member Ben Marshall generating significant online reaction
- Colman Domingo / Anitta (April 11, Episode 17) — The most recent US SNL episode before the current break
How to Watch SNL April 25, 2026
Saturday Night Live UKwith Nicola Coughlan and Foo Fighters airs on Saturday, April 25, 2026, exclusively on Peacock for US viewers and through Sky in the UK. The US SNL Season 51 continues on NBC with new episodes through May 16, streaming the next day on Peacock for subscribers who miss the live broadcast.
Not publicly disclosed is the precise start time for the April 25 SNL UK episode, though previous episodes have followed a late-evening Saturday broadcast window consistent with the original US show’s 11:30 PM ET slot.
