‘SNL U.K.’ Turns Oasis Into Russian Spies in Cold Open

“Saturday Night Live U.K.” mixed Manchester pride, political indecision and Oasis ticket jokes in a cold open that reimagined Liam and Noel Gallagher as Russian operatives targeting Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

The sketch opened with Burnham, played by George Fouracres, returning from a United Nations speech and talking with Angela Rayner, portrayed by Celeste Dring. Their conversation set up the episode’s political frame before the fake Gallagher brothers arrived with an offer designed specifically for a Manchester music fan.

Jack Shep and new cast member Freddie Meredith played Liam and Noel. They told Burnham that he could join Oasis on guitar after a supposed last-minute vacancy. Burnham eagerly accepted, even joking that the budget could wait while he went on tour.

The Oasis offer becomes a data trap

The invitation quickly turned into a spoof of an online scam. Burnham was asked to enter a long list of personal details, a beat that also nodded to complaints about buying high-priced, dynamically priced concert tickets. Once he handed over the information, the brothers changed accents and revealed that Oasis had supposedly always been a Russian operation.

Variety and Deadline both reported that the scene then moved into a running joke about Burnham’s hesitation over calling a general election. The character insisted that he could hold and win one, only to repeatedly reverse himself. The sketch ended with him ordering the “Russian Mancs” to leave Britain and return to being Oasis.

The cold open led the third episode of the comedy’s second season on Sky. Amelia Dimoldenberg hosted the installment, following Jeff Goldblum and Jamie Demetriou in the season’s host lineup. Meredith made his cast debut, while the rest of the returning ensemble included Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Ania Magliano, Emma Sidi and Paddy Young.

Produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio’s U.K. team and Broadway Video, the British edition keeps the familiar live-sketch structure while building its satire around domestic politics and celebrity culture. This week’s opener used Oasis as the bridge between both worlds: a globally known band, a distinctly Manchester identity and an easy setup for a joke about suspicious online forms.