Today’s cold open showed Andrew, played by the comedian Jack Shep, taken into an office by MI5 in the wake of Princess Diana’s death in 1997.
Jack Shep appears as Prince Andrew in a sketch set in 1997
The former Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson and Peter Mandelson were skewered in tonight’s opening Saturday Night Live UK sketch. It saw Andrew, played by comedian Jack Shep, taken into an office by MI5 in the wake of Princess Diana’s death in 1997.
It was quickly hailed as “incredible” by fans. One wrote: “I fear it’s already genius.” Another said: “Oh god perfect cold open on Andrew.”
Agents sit him down and tell him: “No one knows better than us how charming, capable, fiercely intelligent and morally upstanding you are. You are a credit to princes everywhere. Since the death of Diana the public have turned on Prince Charles but still one day he will be King. We need to make him look good.”
Another added: “We have deduced that the only way to increase the likability of our future king is to decrease the likability of everyone around him.”
Andrew replies: “I see. Well, I love my brother, I love my country and I’m willing to do whatever it takes.” The agents tell him, passing him an enormous dossier: “We have prepared a 29 year plan.”
He is seen flicking through nervously, asking: “And you actually need me to do all of this stuff? Even the part about befriending a notorious paedophile? Before and after he is convicted? And there is absolutely no other way to make my brother look good?”
The Andrew character adds: “This all seems very high risk. Oh god, I’m sweating. Surely you can’t make everyone around Charles unlikeable. What about William? He’s so handsome.” The agents tell him: “We’re seeing to that.”
“And Harry?” asks Andrew. They tell him: “He’s going to marry a woman 98% of the UK public will find it impossible to have a normal conversation about.”
The Andrew character replies: “Goodness, this will kill mummy when the news comes out.” They tell him: “Turn to page 72, it will.”
Things go up a gear again when they say: “”Send in Agent Mandelson.” Larry Dean emerges as Peter Peter Mandelson with Emma Sidi as Sarah Ferguson, who have also been brought in to make Charles look good.
The agents tell Andrew: “Your Highness, if you’re ever in too deep, just say the code word and we’ll step in to save you.” When he asks what that is, he’s told: “Pizza Express, Woking.”
The second episode of Saturday Night Live UK was hosted by actor Jamie Dornan, following on from Tina Fey’s appearance in the debut.