Oasis are a Russian psyop, and the new prime minister is the mark. That is the premise of the cold open on Saturday Night Live UK last Saturday (Sept. 26), in which Andy Burnham walks into his new Manchester office and finds two Gallaghers who just happen to need a guitarist.
George Fouracres plays Burnham, with Freddie Meredith and Jack Shep as Liam and Noel. Burnham volunteers for the band, on one condition: he has to register his details on a website. He types in his password, his National Insurance number and the name of his first pet. Then the lights shift, the Mancunian accents drop, and the Irish News (via PA) has the new Noel announcing the scam:
You have fallen for classic Russian internet phishing scam.
‘Noel’ in the SNL UK cold open, The Irish News
Burnham does not take it quietly. “For too long Russia has tried to spread lies, stoke fears and on occasion convince prime ministers they were joining Oasis,” he says. The sketch also finds time for a Manchester City gag, with Liam promising tickets to the Etihad “assuming the stadium don’t get repossessed before then.” Watch it below.
The same episode, the third of the show’s second series, was hosted by Amelia Dimoldenberg, who spent part of her monologue on Ed Sheeran, calling him a “world famous red-headed puppet,” Stereogum reports. It is the latest swipe at Sheeran since the stadium-tour row we explained here. Rachel Chinouriri was the musical guest, and sang “One Song Away From Crying” from her forthcoming second album, I Think I Spoke Too Soon, and “Never Need Me.”
The music bookings keep coming. As of Sept. 29, NME reported that the next three episodes would be hosted by Danny Dyer, James Norton and Cynthia Erivo, with Sasha Keable, The Streets and Blossoms as the musical guests. Blossoms’ sixth album, Songs From the Wedding Cake, was due Oct. 2. After that comes a mid-season break, and the show returns in 2027. In the U.K., SNL UK streams on Now TV. And for anyone who wants the real Gallaghers, the Oasis documentary moves to Disney+ and Hulu on Oct. 9.
- Show
- Saturday Night Live UK, series 2, episode 3 (aired Sept. 26)
- Host
- Amelia Dimoldenberg
- Musical guest
- Rachel Chinouriri
- Next up
- Danny Dyer, James Norton and Cynthia Erivo host; Sasha Keable, The Streets and Blossoms perform
Sources
Added to the High Grailed archive on October 11, 2026.
