One of the celebrity hosts of Saturday Night Live UK appeared to suffer cold feet when they read the cue cards for one of the show’s darker – but hilarious – sketches for the first time.
It was only the second week of the new sketch show, which finally launched on Sky this year, 51 years after the original American series premiered.
A week before, SNL alum Tina Fey kicked off season one, hosting a brilliant opening episode that proved all of the pessimistic naysayers wrong who had doubted that a UK version of the programme would work.
For episode two, a major Hollywood star took on the hosting duties – 50 Shades of Grey and The Fall star Jamie Dornan. While it was an exciting role, the creators of SNL UK have revealed that there was a tense moment when the actor thought he couldn’t go through with it.
Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival at a panel talk attended by Metro, lead producer James Longman explained that that pivotal moment occurred when Jamie, 44, was reading the iconic hostage skit for the first time.
‘Every host we had for season one took a chance on us. Eternally grateful for all of them,’ James began. ‘And Jamie Dornan, when he did that, that was the first time he was on stage for the hostage sketch.
‘He was reading cue cards for the first time, and he was like, “I’m not sure I can do this show.”
‘He was terrified by it, and then by Saturday night, he absolutely nailed it and loved it. It was brilliant. The hosts go at times. “What the f*** am I doing here?”‘
Philip Edgar-Jones, executive director of unscripted originals at Sky UK, chimed in: ‘The cast are so wonderful, wrapping their arms around the host, really giving them a safe space to shine.’
The sketch in question was a scene that Jamie starred in opposite SNL UK cast member Annabel Marlow, where he’s a kidnapper who’s taken her character, Amy, hostage.
It begins with Jamie speaking into a digital camera, warning that he’ll harm or even kill Amy if her boyfriend doesn’t hand over £250,000 in cash.
The only problem is, Amy feels mortified over the idea of the guy she’s seeing – Henry – knowing that she’s referring to him as her boyfriend, as they haven’t really established what their relationship is yet.
‘It would literally kill me if he knew I was referring to him as my boyfriend,’ she admits, asking her kidnapper for advice about what they should say when they contact her situationship.
‘Listen, when I was watching you both through the tiny crack in the wardrobe door…’ the kidnapper tells Amy, before squealing: ‘I thought you looked really comfortable together!’
If Amy wasn’t tied up with her hands bound by rope and being threatened with a gun, it seems like she and her kidnapper could be besties.
