Saturday Night Live UK returned from its weekend break with a sharp political satire, targeting Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as British ambassador to the United States. The sketch came after The Independent revealed that Mandelson had failed the vetting process before his appointment, a fact the prime minister claimed was unknown to him until recently. Mandelson was later dismissed due to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and is now under police investigation for allegedly leaking sensitive government documents to the convicted sex offender while serving as business secretary.
Who Wants To Remain A Millionaire?
The show opened with a parody of ITV’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, renamed Who Wants To Remain A Millionaire, featuring Starmer as a contestant. Comedian Al Nash portrayed former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson, who introduced himself with the line: “I’m your host, fake farmer and real arsehole Jeremy Clarkson.” He then brought out Starmer, played by George Fouracres, saying: “You hate him, I hate him – it’s prime minister Keir Starmer.”
The central question posed to Starmer was: “Is it ever a good idea to give Peter Mandelson a job?” The multiple-choice options were: A. No, B. Of Course Not, C. Not In A Million Years, and D. Yes. Starmer’s bumbling caricature replied, “It’s a tricky one, Jeremy. I think I’m going to have to use a lifeline on this one, I’ll ask the audience.” The audience overwhelmingly voted for C, but Starmer opted for the 50-50 lifeline, leaving only C and D. He then chose to phone a friend – Peter Mandelson, described by Nash’s Clarkson as a “paedophile-adjacent Bond villain.”
Mandelson’s Appearance
Larry Dean played Mandelson, appearing in a white robe with the initials “J.R.” – a reference to photographs from the Epstein files showing Mandelson in similar attire. When Starmer asked if it was ever a good idea to give him a job, Mandelson responded: “Me? A job? I’d be careful if I were you,” before laughing villainously as the lighting turned red. Despite being given the chance to use the 50-50 lifeline again and being left with C, Starmer said: “I know it’s not conventional but I’d actually like to bring back one of the previous options because I’m going to go with D – final answer.” When asked if he was sure, Starmer replied: “Oh, never.” Unsurprisingly, the answer was wrong, and Starmer concluded: “Jeremy, it’s clear to me now that that was the wrong decision. Would I make the same decision again, knowing what I know now? Quite possibly.”
Social Media Reaction
The clip quickly gained traction on social media. One viewer wrote on X: “george fouracres is a better keir starmer than keir starmer is.” Another tweeted: “starmer’s even getting rinsed on tv now. when the jokes write themselves, you know the government’s a mess.” The show continued the mockery during its Weekend Update segment, where co-host Paddy Young joked about the sacking of civil servant Olly Robbins, saying: “As a result of the Mandelson fallout, civil servant Olly Robbins has been sacked. No! Not Olly Robins! Sir Oliver Robins, Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs in the United Kingdom! Who’s that?”
Earlier in April, Starmer dismissed Robbins for failing to inform him that Mandelson had failed vetting for the ambassador role. Starmer defended his decision, stating that Robbins faced only the “everyday pressure of Government” during the process. The Independent has contacted the Cabinet Office, Peter Mandelson, and Jeremy Clarkson for comment.
