The UK spin-off of Saturday Night Live will air weekly on Sky Max and stream on NOW, bringing the long-running American format firmly into the British TV landscape. Produced as a six-part series, the show will stick to the familiar mix of topical sketches, celebrity hosts and live music, but is being promoted as “reimagined through a distinctly British lens”. Episodes will go out live on Saturday nights, maintaining the franchise’s reputation for last-minute rewrites, surprises and the occasional on-air chaos.

For UK music fans, Wet Leg’s booking as the debut musical guest feels like a statement of intent. The guitar band, led by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, have been one of the UK’s most significant breakout acts of the past few years, first exploding with viral single ‘Chaise Longue’. They have already had major TV appearances on both sides of the Atlantic, performing on Later… with Jools Holland, Late Night With Seth Meyers and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Landing the first performance slot on SNL UK cements their move from cult favourites to mainstream fixtures.

Legendary US actress Tina Fey’s involvement gives the British version an immediate connection to the original in New York. The comedian and writer is a former cast member, writer and anchor, remaining one of the most recognisable alumni of the US show. Her hosting the London debut has been framed in reports as a symbolic, passing-of-the-baton moment from the American home to its UK counterpart.

The first episode’s line-up sets a precedent to blend international star power with homegrown music. Jamie Dornan will host the second episode, backed by BRIT-winning band Wolf Alice as musical guests, while the third show pairs host Riz Ahmed with Leicester rock veterans Kasabian. For British artists, the series offers a new, high-profile live TV slot that sits alongside Jools Holland, the BRITs and Glastonbury coverage as a key showcase moment. With Wet Leg leading off on opening night, SNL UK is setting out its stall as a prime-time home for the country’s most talked-about bands

Wet Leg’s upcoming UK shows are as follows:

Isle of Wight Festival, Isle of Wight – Jun 18

Seaclose Park, Newport  -Jun 18

Seaclose Park, Newport – Jun 19

Bellahouston Park, Glasgow- Jun 30

Castlefield Bowl, Manchester- Jul 8

Millennium Square, Leeds- Jul 9

Alexandra Palace, London- Jul 10

Henham Park, Southwold- Jul 23

Hillsborough Park, Sheffield- Jul 24

Henham Park, Southwold0 Jul 25

Hillsborough Park, Sheffield- Jul 26

Clifton Down, Bristol Aug 29

Clifton Down, Bristol- Aug 30 

Styles has performed on SNL five times in the past; performing once with One Direction and four times as a solo artist. His appearance on March 14th will mark his the second time he has both performed as the musical guest and hosted.

Both SNL and Styles shared the announcement on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl)

Beginning in One Direction, Harry Styles became a part of one the best selling boy bands of all time. Following the group’s hiatus, Styles released his first album in 2017. ‘Harry Styles’ peaked at number one in the UK and the US and was one of the world’s top-ten best-selling albums of the year. His second album ‘Fine Line’ and it’s most popular single ‘Watermelon Sugar’ both topped US Billboard Charts. Whilst his third album ‘Harry’s House’ received the Grammy Award for Album Of the Year.

Following a 3 year hiatus after the release of ‘Harry House’ with the hugely successful tour ‘Love on Tour’, Styles has returned with promotions for his newest album ‘Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally.’  The upcoming fourth studio album by Styles, is set to be released on 6 March 2026.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @harrystyles

In the lead up to Harry Styles’ appearance, SNL will also welcome Ryan Gosling, the Gorillaz, Connor Storrie and Mumford & Sons. Styles’ SNL appearance will come eight days after the release of his album. The album’s first single ‘Aperture’ debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The ‘Aperture’ music video has amassed over 18 million views.

Styles has also recently released tour dates for the album. the ‘Together, Together’ tour sees Styles visit Europe, South America, North America and Australia. Starting in May, Styles will embark on his performances with supporting acts including; Shania Twain, Jorja Smith and Robyn.

On Saturday February 28th, Styles will perform at the Brit Awards in Manchester. The ceremony is being held in Manchester for the first time in its history, at the Co-op Live arena. Styles is also set to perform for one night only at the same venue on March 6th to celebrate the release of ‘Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally.’

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @harrystyles

 
Fans eagerly await March 14, taking to X to celebrate some of the best moments from Styles’ previous appearances.

harry styles on snl is always iconic pic.twitter.com/XHKF6MYbP1

— best of harry styles (@stylesfolders) February 23, 2026

Having shifted from DIY basement recordings to major network TV, Geese used the slot to cement their growing reputation as one of guitar music’s most innovative young bands. They delivered a pair of tracks from ‘Getting Killed‘, starting with ‘Au Pays du Cocaine’, followed later in the show by ‘Trinidad’. For a group that has built its following through relentless touring and word of mouth, the episode represented a pivotal first appearance on the long‑running NBC sketch series, which often serves as a national breakout stage for emerging artists.

‘Au Pays du Cocaine’, the eighth track on the 11‑song album, showcased the band’s slower, more atmospheric side, with touring keyboardist Sam Revaz joining the core lineup on stage. Frontman Cameron Winter’s vocals leaned into the song’s drifting, narcotic mood, while the band kept the arrangement taut and restrained. For their second slot, Geese shifted into a harsher gear with ‘Trinidad’, the album’s diverse opening track, balancing stripped‑down, eerie verses with a chorus of heavy chaos that highlighted their dynamic control.

The episode was hosted by Teyana Taylor, star of the film ‘One Battle After Another’, who was making her own hosting debut on the show. First announced as musical guests for the January 24 broadcast on January 7, Geese’s appearance alongside Taylor was quickly picked up by music outlets and fan communities. The performance arrived after the group spent much of late 2025 on the road in support of ‘Getting Killed‘, an album that saw them dominate year‑end lists, spark intense online discussion and sell out shows across the globe, including multiple packed dates in the band’s birthplace, New York.

Forming in Brooklyn in 2016, the band currently consist of vocalist and multi‑instrumentalist Cameron Winter, guitarist Emily Green, bassist Dominic DiGesu, and drummer Max Bassin, with Sam Revaz joining on keyboards for live shows. The SNL spot underlines the band’s growing profile on American network television and signals the scale of opportunities now available to them.

To date, Geese have released four studio albums: “A Beautiful Memory” (2018), “Projector” (2021), “3D Country” (2023) and “Getting Killed” (2025). Their SNL debut is set to be followed by further touring in early 2026, including a show in Honolulu on January 31 and appearances at several major festivals around the world later in the year, positioning the band for an even bigger year ahead as they push their sound to wider audiences.

• May 7-9: San José del Cabo, MX – Viva El Gonzo
• May 22-23: London, UK – Electric Brixton
• May 25: Brussels, BE – La Madeleine
• May 27-28: Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg
• May 30: Cologne, DE – Bürgerhaus Stollwerck
• Jun 1: Paris, FR – Élysée-Montmartre
• Jun 3: Berlin, DE – Festsaal Kreuzberg
• Jun 5: Aarhus, DK – Northside Festival
• Jun 13: Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre
• Jun 15-16: Virginia Beach, VA – The Dome
• Jun 19-20: New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
• Jun 23-24: Charleston, SC – Firefly Distillery
• Jun 26-27: Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
• Jun 30-Jul 1: Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion
• Jul 3-4: Saratoga, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Cente

]]> https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/geeses-debut-appearance-on-saturday-night-live/feed/ 0 https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/madonna-and-elton-john-finally-end-their-feud-after-backstage-meet-at-snl/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/madonna-and-elton-john-finally-end-their-feud-after-backstage-meet-at-snl/#comments Tue, 08 Apr 2025 10:40:16 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=108548 Madonna and Elton John have finally ended their long running feud, after the two pop icons met each other backstage at Saturday Night Live (SNL).

The two pop icons have been in conflict since the early noughties when Elton criticized Madonna’s “Die Another Day”, the theme song for the James Bond film of the same name.

Madonna confirmed their reconciliation in a heartfelt Instagram post, where she spoke of the influence of his music in her younger years:

“Seeing him perform when I was in high school changed the course of my life. I had always felt like an outsider growing up and watching him on stage helped me to understand that it was OK to be different-to stand out – to take the road, less traveled by. In fact, it was essential.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Madonna (@madonna)

She also delved deeper into the disappointment the beef brought her: “Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist. I didn’t understand it.” Madonna then gave details of their backstage encounter, saying that she was told Elton would be the nights musical guest and was compelled to see him: “I needed to go backstage and confront him. When I met him, the first thing out of his mouth was, “Forgive Me” and the wall between us fell down. Forgiveness is a powerful tool. Within minutes. We were hugging. Then he told me had written a song for me and he wanted to collaborate. It was like everything came full circle!!”” Elton then left some kind words in the comment section, paying his respects to Madonna’s music and impact: “Thank you for coming to see me at SNL. And thank you for forgiving me and my big mouth. I’m not proud of what I said. Particularly when I think about all the groundbreaking work you have done as an artist – paving the way for an entire generation of female artists to succeed and be true to themselves. You were also one of the very first people to rise up against HIV/AIDS in the 80’s, bringing love and compassion to so many who desperately needed it.” Brandi Carlile, who Elton was performing with at SNL, jested at the peace-making popstars: “Whatever happens to this country the gays won today folks” Fans were pleased to see the two pop titans bury the hatchet. Some fans on the Live From New York subreddit shared their delight at seeing John and Madonna together:

Comment
byu/MoneyHungryOctopus from discussion
inLiveFromNewYork

Comment
byu/MoneyHungryOctopus from discussion
inLiveFromNewYork

The Elton John/Madonna beef has been going since 2004, when John said her theme tune for Die Another Day was the “worst Bond tune ever”.

After this, the ‘Rocket Man’ songwriter took aim at Madonna during the Q Awards, where she was nominated for Best Live Act. Insinuating that she performs with backing tracks, he asked the crowd “Since when has lip-synching been live?”, before asserting that “Anyone who lip syncs in public on stage when you pay £75 to see them should be shot.”

Years later, John criticized her again after she secured the Super Bowl halftime show in 2012. While interviewed on “Good Morning America”, he warned her to “make sure you lip-sync good.”

Later, he would talk to Australia’s Channel 7 about her controversial ‘MDNA’ tour, which came under fire for its graphic imagery, religious and political symbolism, late start times and lip-synching allegations: “Her tour is a disaster and it couldn’t happen to a bigger c—. If Madonna had any common sense, she would have made a record like ‘Ray of Light,’ stayed away from the dance stuff and just been a great pop singer and made great pop records, which she does brilliantly. But no… And she looks like a fucking fairground stripper.

Elton John and Brandi Carlile performed their song ‘Who Believes In Angels?’, a downtempo, rocky ballad from their new collaborative album of the same name. The album was released last Saturday (April 4). So far, it’s received positive reviews, with The Guardian calling it “a true meeting of the minds.” You can read some background information we gave around the making of the album here.

The track, originally written by Prince in 1985, was made famous by the Irish singer when she recorded it for her second studio album ‘I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got’ in 1990. 2 years later, whilst fans were expecting the song to be performed by O’Connor on SNL, the singer famously staged a protest against the Catholic Church where she performed Bob Marley’s 1976 track ‘War’ a cappella. She then held up a picture of Pope John Paul II that she ripped into pieces as she declared “Fight the real enemy”. She later on shared that the protest act was a move to call out sexual abuse happening in the Catholic Church. Neither Miley nor Brittany referenced the event at the celebration.

The Irish singer-songwriter converted to Islam in 2018. In her memoir Rememberings released in 2021, she shares: “I’ve done only one holy thing in my life and that was sing. The Koran is like a song” and God “an incredible songwriter. The language and intelligence of the call to prayer led me to listen to the Koran. The language and intelligence of the call to prayer led me to listen to the Koran”. She was well-known for her ever-present openness in activism and socio-cultural issues, throughout her career, she used her platform to draw awareness to HIV/AIDs, campaigned on pro-choice issues and abortion rights, and showed her support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Remembering the moment that would make history, record label executive Daniel Glass said: “when she did War, and she ripped the picture of the pope. I will never forget it. Everybody froze at SNL. The music producer Liz Welch went from jubilation to tears. No one stopped it, no one knew what to do. We walked back to the artist’s dressing room. I don’t think she knew what she just had just done. The magnitude of it. She was in a room by herself which was kind of sad and lonely, because it was a heavy moment in history.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus)

Cyrus and Howard belted the song whilst letting their voice melt into one another as the Alabama Shake front woman added soulfulness to the tune with her guitar riffs and the Tennessee born singer added some of her well-known rasp to the tune. The artists choice of song was a sweet nod to the notorious performance that got Sinéad O’Connor banned from the show.

Cyrus moved on to sing her famous hit ‘Flowers’ from her 2023 album ‘Endless Summer Vacation’ and a rendition of Queen’s song ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’.

You can catch all the skits and performances over at the official SNL YouTube Channel.

‘Baby’ is a tale of possession and self-assuredness, perfectly summarizing the thought and attitude of the record. The video comes in to illustrate Charli’s desires with an incredible routine, choreographed by Charli’s close collaborator Nathan Kim. Of the song Charli confesses, “The track is about great sex.”. ‘Baby’ debuted on Zane Lowe’s New Music Daily show yesterday, with its debut performance slated to be on SNL this week. This appearance comes 3 months after the star was supposed to appear, but was forced to cancel due to a lack of crew as a result of COVID-19.

Charli’s highly-anticipated forthcoming album, CRASH, will be released on 18th March and is the fifth and final album in her record deal, pre-order information can be found here. Charli kicks off her 21-date North American tour in Los Angeles on 26th March followed by her 17-date UK and European tour which starts in Dublin on 13th May with support from Baby Tate, ELIO, Yeule, Magdalena and A. G. Cook. See full tour dates here.

Another song we know to have made its way onto the album is her recent collaboration with up-and-coming electro-pop superstar Rina Sawayama. In a statement released about the single, Charli had this to say about the track’s meaning, “[it] encapsulates cult theology within popular culture; worship of an image, obsession of a higher power, ritualistic and superstitious practices and the sacrifice for perfection.” The video, filmed in Lancaster, California, the video was directed by Nick Harwood in the same place that the iconic final scene of Se7en was filmed, featuring Brad Pitt having an unfortunate encounter with a box. The press release describes symbolism relating to the cult of celebrities and superstition.

Charli also took to Twitter recently to address some of the poor reception that the new tracks received online. At one point a fan called her ‘mother’, and Charli responded “If u wanna throw around midlife crisis fucking throw it at me. I’m getting older, I’m getting hotter, my tits are stunning, I’m in great shape, I’m dancing, I’m progressing and I’m living my best life – and that the tea.”

OH and finally if u wanna throw around midlife crisis fucking throw it at me – I’m getting older, I’m getting hotter, my tits are stunning, I’m in great shape, I’m dancing, I’m progressing and I’m living my best life – and that the tea

— Charli (@charli_xcx) March 1, 2022

See below Charli XCX’s full UK tour dates:

13/05/2022 – Olympia Theatre – Dublin
5/05 – O2 Academy – Glasgow
17/05 – Victoria Warehouse – Manchester
18/05 – O2 Academy – Birmingham
19/05 – Alexandra Palace – London
21/05 – UEA – Norwich
22/05 – O2 Academy – Sheffield
23/05 – Rock City – Nottingham

@charlixcx 2022 sneak peak @rinasawayamaofficial ♬ original sound – Charli XCX

Its sound has been described by the magazine Dazed as having “UK garage-influenced production“, whilst NME says that “It seems to [be] a bouncy, club-primed pop tune with a jaunty beat evocative of ‘90s house music“. The clip is the latest clue as to the overall sound of Charli’s new album, which has already sported two new singles; November’s “New Shapes“ (featuring Carlione Polachek/ Christine and the Queens) and September’s “Good Ones“. The singer has described her expectations of the album as having “an overload of sexiness“, making “people dance and cry at the same time”. The sneak peek is a particularly lucky spark of festive joy for fans, especially after some disappointing news recently of a cancelled performance on Saturday Night Live (SNL), with Charli announcing the cancellation just hours before the show aired. The reason was cited as having “limited crew“ amid the rise of omicron cases in New York City, with NBC having new limits on how many crew members are permitted in 30 Rock’s Stage 8H (where SNL is performed and broadcast from).

Charli took to social media to tell fans this: “Hi everyone, due to the limited crew at tonight’s taping of ‘SNL’ my musical performances will no longer be able to go ahead. I am devastated and heartbroken .…“I am currently safe and healthy but of course very sad. Please look after yourselves out there and make sure you get vaccinated if you haven’t already. Lots of love, Charli“.

pic.twitter.com/5D0I1XM65b — Charli (@charli_xcx) December 18, 2021

On the bright side, fans still got to see the singer in a sketch featuring host (and Marvel superhero) Paul Rudd, among other SNL familiars. Also, a new documentary is due for release in cinemas in January, detailing the making of Charli’s critically acclaimed 2020 album How I’m Feeling Now. The documentary will be called Alone Together. You can see the trailer below.

Her next album Crash is due out March 18^th, courtesy of Asylum and Atlantic Records. It’s going to be followed by a worldwide tour taking the artist through the UK, Europe and North America. If you want to look at tickets then you can go here. As for those keen to get their hands on the new album, you can pre-order from here.

During her opening statement she uncovered as to why she was hosting, with singer/songwriter H.E.R as her musical guest on the show. She stated, “I know there’s been a lot of chatter about me just being the host, I’ve seen all of it — like why isn’t she the musical guest and all that.”-Billboard

Mentioning her new album she said, “My album is not finished and I’m also too scared to do both. I would rather just put on some wigs – and this is all mine by the way – have a glass of wine or six and just see what happens.”-The Independent

Adele appeared on the show previously as a musical guest in 2008 and 2015. She also praised the show in her opening statement by saying ‘Saturday Night Live,’ helped her break America during her first appearance on the show. It was during her performance of ‘Chasing Pavements,’ and ‘Cold Shoulder,’ that gave ‘Saturday Night Live’ their highest rating episode in 14 years and sent her shooting to fame overnight.

The following day from her appearance on the show, Her debut album ‘19‘ went straight to number 1 in the ITunes chart and ‘Chasing pavements,’ shot up the billboard chart from number 46 to 11, commending her with her first US single hit.

She explained how the show contributed to her success in America by saying, “You see I was the musical guest back in 2008 when Sarah Palin came on with Tina Fey,” she continued, “so obviously a few million people tuned in to watch it. And well, the rest is now history.”-BBC News

Adele had plenty of laughs during her hosting debut as she jokes about her current weight loss by saying, “And I know I look really, really different since you last saw me but actually, because of all the Covid restrictions and the travel bans, I had to travel light and only bring half of me – and this is the half I chose.”- BBC News

Although Adele was not the musical guest on this occasion, she did stun the audience with performances of her songs, during a bachelor themed sketch which included, “Someone Like You,” “Hello” “When We Were Young,” and “Rumour Has It,” amongst others.

NME reported it was in February, when she sparked rumours about her new album by saying, “Expect my album in September,” whilst being filmed at a friends wedding. In June, her manger set aside rumours after updating fans that her music would not be released then. A few of the names as to who she is working with on the new album, include producer Raphael Saadiq and singer John Legend.

Although viewers were hoping Adele may perform a debut song from her new album or share some exciting news about the release, fans are going to wait a little longer for new music.

View this post on Instagram

Bloooooody hellllll I’m so excited about this!! And also absolutely terrified! My first ever hosting gig and for SNL of all things!!!! I’ve always wanted to do it as a stand alone moment, so that I could roll up my sleeves and fully throw myself into it, but the time has never been right. But if there was ever a time for any of us to jump head first into the deep end with our eyes closed and hope for the best it’s 2020 right? Itll be almost 12 years to the day that I first appeared on the show, during an election…which went on to break my career in America, so it feels full circle and I just couldn’t possibly say no! I am besides myself that H.E.R will be the musical guest!! I love her SO much I can’t wait to melt into a flaming hot mess when she performs, then confuse myself while I laugh my arse off in between it all. See you next week

A post shared by Adele (@adele) on Oct 18, 2020 at 11:09am PDT

Adele also revealed that it will be 12 years nearly to the day that she first appeared on SNL as a music guest in 2008, which helped her break into the U.S market. The host of that episode was then-US vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. The episode turned out to be one of the most-watched episodes ever. Now, in another election year, Adele has described presenting the show as a “full circle” moment for her career.

Fans have speculated that Adele will be releasing some of her new music during her appearance on the show. One fan said on social media: “IMAGINE IF WE GET A SINGLE OR HECK EVEN AN ALBUM FROM ADELE NEXT WEEK ALONGSIDE THE SNL HOSTING. OMG I’M GONNA FAINT Y’ALL.” Another said: “I’m sleeping with a smile on tonight knowing that Adele is coming back!”

I still can’t believe it. ADELE IS BACK pic.twitter.com/uHbR8JJxW7

— ADELE IS BACK (@adkinslovee) October 19, 2020

However, it was revealed in August that Adele didn’t know when her album would be coming out because of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. Adele’s manager Jonathon Dickins reportedly said; “We’re all in the same boat, you’re doing stuff and then all of a sudden, the world stops. It’ll come when it’s ready. I can’t put a date on that yet.” There is a possibility new music could be announced at the show, but it also seems like we will be seeing a new side to Adele as she showcases her comedy side in the 46-season comedy skit show.

Adele will be appearing on SNL as the host on Saturday 24th of October with musical guest H.E.R.