Cynthia Erivo returned to the world of Wicked with a different role on Saturday Night Live UK, playing Glinda in a parody during her hosting appearance on Saturday 24 October.
The actor, known to cinema audiences as Elphaba, swapped characters for “Nigerian Wicked”, appearing opposite cast member Ayoade Bamgboye as the green-skinned witch. The sketch was part of an episode featuring Blossoms as musical guests.
Erivo’s appearance closed the show’s current run of 2026 episodes. Further instalments of the second series are planned for 2027, following an autumn schedule that began in September.
Cynthia Erivo switches roles for SNL UK
The central joke begins with a casting reversal. Instead of reprising her film character, Erivo takes the part associated on screen with Ariana Grande, while Bamgboye becomes her Elphaba.
Digg’s summary of Variety’s reporting describes the pair travelling to the Wizard of LagOz, with familiar elements of the musical transformed into an exaggerated alternative version.
The sketch includes a makeover, luxury shopping ambitions and romantic tension between the two characters. It also plays with the expectation of a kiss, interrupting the moment with an explosion effect.
That makes it a comic interpretation of the characters, rather than a new scene from the films. The attraction between this version of Glinda and Elphaba belongs to the sketch’s own story, with the role reversal giving Erivo room to approach familiar material from another direction.
For viewers who know her primarily through the musical, the change is the immediate hook: a performer closely identified with one half of the pairing steps into the other half’s shoes.
Blossoms join the final autumn episode
Sky’s official announcement confirmed Erivo and Blossoms for the 24 October show, following Danny Dyer with Sasha Keable on 10 October and James Norton with The Streets on 17 October.
The format puts a different celebrity host alongside a musical guest each week. Around them is the regular comedy cast, with topical sketches, performances and a British version of the programme’s established Weekend Update segment.
For the host, that means joining an ensemble rather than simply appearing for an interview. A recognisable screen persona can become the starting point for a sketch, as Erivo’s connection to Wicked did here.
Sky’s cast announcement includes Bamgboye and Hammed Animashaun alongside performers such as Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, Ania Magliano, George Fouracres and Emma Sidi. The show is produced for Sky and NOW by Universal Television Alternative Studio’s UK team and Broadway Video.
When does Saturday Night Live UK return?
The October broadcast marks a break in the second series, rather than the end of the programme. Peacock’s official series guide lists six autumn episodes through 24 October, with additional shows planned for 2027.
The run began on 12 September, when Jeff Goldblum hosted with CMAT as musical guest. Goldblum’s own connection to the Wicked films gave the series another familiar face from that world before Erivo’s turn at the end of the autumn schedule.
Peacock also identifies the production’s home as Television Centre in White City, west London. UK broadcasts are carried by Sky and streaming service NOW; Peacock’s viewing information applies to audiences in the United States.
The distinction matters when looking for the episode, because American streaming arrangements do not automatically describe UK availability. For British viewers, Sky and NOW are the services attached to this edition of the show.
A different side of a familiar screen star
Erivo’s hosting appearance brings together her musical-theatre association and the flexibility of sketch comedy. A character recognised from a major film can be recast, relocated and given different ambitions within a few minutes.
The result is a self-contained television parody built around an unexpected version of Glinda. It gives fans a new Erivo performance to discuss while Saturday Night Live UK pauses ahead of its next episodes.
