Aimee Lou Wood has kicked off her time hosting Saturday Night Live UK by poking fun at the US show’s “unfunny and mean” sketch, which ridiculed her teeth.
Last year, British actor Wood found herself at the centre of a controversy after her character on The White Lotus was parodied on Saturday Night Live.
Cast member Sarah Sherman wore exaggerated prosthetic teeth in an attempt to parody Wood’s appearance, which the British actor took issue with on social media.
.png)
The Sex Education star, 32, is returning to the franchise as the host of the SNL UK this weekend (2 May), and mocked the controversy in a pre-episode teaser clip starring cast members Ayoade Bamgboye, Al Nash, Celeste Dring and Paddy Young.
In the clip, Wood walks over to say hello to the members of the cast, all of whom, except Young, are covering their mouths with their hands.
“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,” she says, while the others make noises of agreement.
Wood then asks them why they’re covering their mouths, before going: “Oh my god. Have you guys got fake teeth in?”
While the cast insist they haven’t, Wood shouts out: “Wow, this is all just one big setup to humiliate me, then. I thought SNL UK would be different, but I was wrong.”
However, Bamgboye then reveals that the team instead “grew big, glorious moustaches”, with the comedians removing their hands to reveal stick-on moustaches to complement Young’s own real facial hair.
“We saw Paddy getting all of this love online, and we assumed it was because of the ’tache, so,” Nash tells Wood, as the team bestows their own fake moustache on Wood’s lip and embraces her in a group hug.
Originally reacting to Saturday Night Live’s parody of her last April, Wood said that it was a “shame” the show had chosen to mock her appearance.
“Yes, take the piss for sure – that’s what the show is about – but there must be a cleverer, more nuanced, less cheap way?” she wrote on social media.
Wood later clarified to her supporters that she wasn’t “hating” on Sherman herself, but the skit’s “concept”. SNL apologised for the sketch, while Sherman sent Wood flowers.
Wood will host the sixth episode of SNL UK’s first series, following on from previous celebrity hosts Nicola Coughlan, Jack Whitehall, Riz Ahmed, Jamie Dornan and Tina Fey. Singer Meek is the accompanying musical guest.
