Jamie Dornan, star of 50 Shades of Grey and The Fall, nearly backed out of hosting Saturday Night Live UK after reading the cue cards for the show's iconic hostage sketch for the first time. The revelation came during a panel at the Edinburgh TV Festival, where lead producer James Longman detailed the tense moment that occurred during the second week of the new sketch show, which launched on Sky this year—51 years after the original American series premiered.
A Host's Moment of Doubt
Longman explained that Dornan, 44, was reading the hostage sketch for the first time when he expressed his uncertainty. 'Every host we had for season one took a chance on us. Eternally grateful for all of them,' Longman said. 'And Jamie Dornan, when he did that, that was the first time he was on stage for the hostage sketch. He was reading cue cards for the first time, and he was like, "I'm not sure I can do this show." He was terrified by it, and then by Saturday night, he absolutely nailed it and loved it. It was brilliant. The hosts go at times. "What the f*** am I doing here?"'
Philip Edgar-Jones, executive director of unscripted originals at Sky UK, added: 'The cast are so wonderful, wrapping their arms around the host, really giving them a safe space to shine.' The support from the cast was crucial in helping Dornan overcome his initial fear, allowing him to deliver a performance that would later be praised by fans and critics alike.
The Hostage Sketch That Went Viral
The sketch in question featured Dornan as a kidnapper opposite SNL UK cast member Annabel Marlow, who played his hostage, Amy. In the scene, Dornan's character threatens to harm Amy unless her boyfriend Henry pays £250,000 in cash. However, Amy is more concerned about Henry discovering she referred to him as her boyfriend, as their relationship status is unclear. 'It would literally kill me if he knew I was referring to him as my boyfriend,' she admits, seeking advice from her captor.
The kidnapper, who had been watching the couple through a wardrobe door, offers an unexpected opinion: 'Listen, when I was watching you both through the tiny crack in the wardrobe door… I thought you looked really comfortable together!' The comedic twist continues as Henry sends a video saying he wants to stay single and won't pay the ransom, revealing he's seeing another woman. Amy eventually grabs the gun and escapes, though she admits she'll likely return to her toxic non-boyfriend.
Fan and Creator Reactions
The sketch has garnered over one million views on YouTube, with fans praising Dornan's performance. One commenter, pamlang1725, wrote: 'Jamie knocked it outta the park!' Another, ermeeleer, compared Dornan to Alexander Skarsgård, noting: 'Jamie Dornan is like Alexander Skarsgård, the type of actor who looks really intense and brooding but they're really funny and goofy irl. Please put them in more comedies.'
Dornan previously spoke to Esquire about his experience on the show, describing it as 'the most stressful week of my life but ultimately really rewarding.' He explained that admitting his fear to the cast helped: 'As soon as I admitted to the cast how scared I was – and they told me how scared they were – it was much easier.' The turning point came during the dress rehearsal, when the live audience's laughter reassured him. 'And then you get an audience and it's a totally different experience. They're laughing and you feed off it; it becomes fizzy and exciting. I mean, it's two hours before the show, but I was like, "Oh right, okay, it's going to be okay. It's funny,"' he recalled.
The first episode of SNL UK, hosted by Tina Fey, had already proven skeptics wrong, and Dornan's episode continued that success. Saturday Night Live UK returns on Saturday, September 12, on Sky and NOW, with more celebrity hosts expected to take on the challenge.
