The October 24 mid-season finale of 'Saturday Night Live UK,' hosted by 'Wicked' star Cynthia Erivo, drew 116,000 overnight viewers — a new Season 2 high, according to Collider, which reports it was the day's biggest non-sports program on British pay television.

MovieWeb notes the milestone is a step forward for a series still working to establish itself across the pond after an uneven run.

Both outlets frame it as welcome progress rather than a breakthrough: Collider cautions that overnight ratings are only part of the picture and the show has yet to prove mass weekly appeal.

The arc explains why this high point is surprising. Collider recounts that the show launched in March 2026 with Tina Fey hosting and 226,000 viewers, but declined across its eight-episode first season, with Ncuti Gatwa's finale drawing just 86,420 while Eurovision aired simultaneously.

Season 2, which debuted in September, started lower still, with Collider reporting 105,000 for the Jeff Goldblum episode before Jamie Demetriou's outing pulled 139,600.

Hitting 116,000 on October 24 — against heavy competition — suggests, per Collider, that the show can hold its own in a crowded landscape rather than coasting on curiosity about an American institution's British makeover.

The Erivo episode also produced the bit fans are actually talking about: 'Nigerian Wicked,' a Nollywood-inspired parody written by cast member Ayoade Bamgboye, per Collider.

It reimagines Glinda and Elphaba as Nigerian witches traveling to 'LagOz,' with Erivo's Glinda wanting a Birkin bag and Bamgboye's Elphaba dreaming of a 'skinny BBL' that defies gravity, plus a Wizard — played by Hammed Animashaun — sporting a 'Nolex' instead of a Rolex.

Collider says clips from the sketch quickly attracted millions of views across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, a digital reach that matters for younger viewers who encounter sketches online rather than whole episodes.

Both outlets stress that 'SNL UK' is deliberately not a copy of the American original.

Collider highlights Weekend Update presenters Ania Magliano and Paddy Young as Season 1 audience favorites and notes the sketches draw on British television personalities and cultural quirks rather than imported American references.

The six remaining Season 2 episodes are scheduled to air in January and February 2027, giving the cast a chance to build on the fall momentum.

Collider's caveat: one strong episode doesn't establish a trend, but a strong voice, a stable ensemble and shareable sketches may prove more durable than novelty.