A year after Saturday Night Live targeted Aimee Lou Wood with a tasteless sketch about her teeth, the actor is set to host SNL UK in a masterful power move. The decision promises must-watch television and a brilliant reset of the narrative.
From Mockery to Triumph
In April last year, Wood, whose star rose after her heartfelt role in The White Lotus, first hit back at the long-running comedy show. Despite her career peak, there was a fixation on her “big gap teeth,” a subject of bullying for years. In a GQ interview, she expressed mixed feelings: “It makes me really happy that it’s symbolising rebellion and freedom, but there’s a limit. The whole conversation is just about my teeth, and it makes me a bit sad because I’m not getting to talk about my work… If it was a man, would we be talking about it this much?”
The following week, SNL aired a sketch imagining Trump’s team at the White Lotus hotel, with Sarah Sherman portraying Wood’s character Chelsea using an exaggerated Manchester accent and fake teeth. The sketch was widely condemned, and Wood responded on Instagram, calling it “mean and unfunny” and sharing a comment labelling it misogynistic. She wrote she wasn’t “thin skinned” but hoped for “cleverer, more nuanced” humour. SNL apologised, and Sherman sent flowers.
Hosting SNL UK: A Class Move
Now, a year later, Wood hosts SNL UK, another bold step from a star unafraid to stand up for herself. In a teaser for Saturday’s episode, she turns the teeth mockery on its head. Walking over to the cast, who are covering their mouths, she says, “I cannot wait to get started; you know, especially after the whole ‘thing’ in America with the teeth. So it’s going to feel good to just wipe the slate clean.” When they hide their mouths, she asks, “Have you guys got fake teeth in?” The cast reveal they’ve grown “big, glorious moustaches,” sticking one on her face and pulling her into a group hug.
The skit, crucially funny, is a powerful play. Hosting SNL could be cathartic for Wood, who has spoken about being “bullied for my teeth forever” and overcoming paranoia about her looks. “I had it in my brain that I’m not conventional-looking enough,” she said. By reclaiming the joke, she moves the focus back to her acting.
A Rising Star
Wood’s career includes a Bafta-winning role as Aimee in Sex Education, where she balanced humour and heartbreak, and as Chelsea in The White Lotus, a standout performance among heavyweights. At next week’s TV Baftas, she’s nominated for two awards: one for The White Lotus and one for the BBC comedy Film Club, which she co-created.
Wood’s arrival on SNL UK demonstrates how a strong host can elevate a series. Expect her to take the show to new heights with clever, nuanced humour.
