Saturday Night Live UK aired a cold open on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, built around a job-swap scenario between characters playing Donald Trump, Andy Burnham and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Deadline. The sketch marked the first time the show has put an actor in character as Trump, even though the president has been a frequent reference point on the British edition of the sketch series.
James Austin Johnson, who has played Trump on the American version of Saturday Night Live for five years, took on the role for SNL UK. George Fouracres played Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, and Freddie Meredith played Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Main Development
In the sketch, Johnson’s Trump character proposes swapping jobs with Fouracres’ Burnham character. The bit leans on a theatrical entrance line delivered by Johnson’s Trump:
“You say my name and I appear. I got the idea from my very close friend Beetlejuice, the great Beetlejuice. It’s one of the two reasons I like him. The other is that he’s a sex pest… It’s alleged, they can’t prove that stuff.”
Fouracres’ Burnham character responds to the swap pitch with a line summing up his take on the job: “It’s an awful job. It’s a terrible place full of disgusting people. I don’t know why I do it.”
The sketch also works in references to real British news topics, including the Manchester City soccer club controversy, the small boats crisis and a tiger mauling incident in the UK, using them as punchlines rather than policy commentary. In another line, Johnson’s Trump character jokes, “I’m in town to see my favorite comedian. He’s performing live at the High Court in the role of defendant.”
What It Means For Fans
The cold open leans on exaggeration and absurd premises, such as the Beetlejuice comparison and the courtroom joke, to draw a clear line between the sketch’s fictional job-swap setup and any actual political events involving Trump, Burnham or Zelenskyy. None of the material presents itself as a factual account of policy or diplomacy. It is a comedic bit built around impersonation and punchlines.
Johnson’s Trump character also takes a shot at the show itself, saying British comedy is in a bad spot because SNL UK had not had anyone to play Trump until this episode. That line doubles as an acknowledgment of the long gap between Trump being referenced on the show and an actor finally stepping into the role.
Background And Context
Trump has shown up as a subject of jokes on SNL UK before, but Deadline reported this episode was the first time he appeared as a character played by an actor. Johnson brings experience to the part from his five years playing Trump on the flagship American Saturday Night Live.
James Norton hosted the episode, which was the fifth installment of the first half of the show’s second season. The Streets provided the musical performance for the broadcast.
What’s Next
Deadline’s report did not detail how the sketch concluded or specify future casting plans for the Trump character on SNL UK. The show’s second season is continuing with new episodes, each featuring a different host and musical guest.
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