Saturday Night Live UK has been earning quite a bit of buzz amid the 2026 TV schedule, and that’s arguably in large part due to the show not pulling punches. That’s proven to be true regarding a wide range of topics and was notably the case last week when it borrowed James Austin Johnson’s President Trump for a sketch. The British Royal Family has also been lampooned and joked about on the sketch series and, during this latest episode, it delivered brutal barbs regarding accusations swirling around Meghan Markle’s father.
This past week, it was reported that Thomas Markle was under investigation for alleged child pornography possession. Those alleged items were reportedly found by Thomas Markle Jr. at his father’s home in Cebu, Philippines. Since then, Meghan released a statement in which she expressed her distress over the news. The topic was broached during Weekend Update (as shared to X), with co-hosts Paddy Young and Ania Magliano both making jokes about it. Young was the first to share remarks, as he said:
In Royal news, it’s been a big 24 hours for Meghan Markle, whose dad has been accused of being a pedophile, in another pathetic attempt to win over the British public.
Young wasn’t done making remarks either. He then followed up his initial jab with a comment more specifically pointed at Markle Sr.:
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In 2025, Thomas Markle moved to the Philippines in a sure sign of his innocence.
Magliano rounded out the topic by shifting the focus back to the Duchess of Sussex specifically. In doing so, the comedian also took a shot at the Royal Family as a whole:
If the allegations about Meghan Markle’s father are true and he is a pedophile, there is a genuine chance Meghan could be considered royal.
That comment from Magliano was seemingly a reference to the legal issues that have befallen the former Prince Andrew in recent years. A longtime friend of late financier Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew was accused of sex-trafficking in 2014 and settled a lawsuit pertaining to the case in 2022. Andrew would later be arrested in early 2026 after the release of the Epstein Files due to suspicion of misconduct in public office before being released under investigation.
SNL UK has made fun of the Royal Family on multiple occasions just in the past month or so. Early in September, the show spoofed Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s return to the UK with a sketch that chided them for apparently spending all of their Netflix money. And just a week later, the show revived Jack Shep’s Princess Diana impression to roast King Charles. So, needless to say, the sketch comedy series doesn’t seem to have any issue coming for the family.
What’s been particularly interesting to see during SNL UK’s second series is how the show has managed to connect with international audiences. Some may argue that the show isn’t all that American-feeling, but the series has seemingly drawn positive responses from fans in the States as evidenced by social media. And, of course, given the North American population’s knowledge of the Royal Family, it tracks that such content would draw attention to those here in the U.S.
As for the royals’ take on the latest jokes made at their expense on Saturday Night Live UK, that’s unclear. What I can’t help but wonder now, however, is how the show might continue to chide the family when it returns from hiatus in 2027. In the meantime, though, fans check out the American iteration of SNL, which returns for a Halloween episode on NBC on October 31. Inde Navarrette will be hosting alongside music guest Gracie Abrams.
