Fey’s Hilarious TV Secrets

Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live legend, has some friendly advice for the writers working on the UK version of the iconic sketch show.

The 55-year-old comedian, who got her start with the Chicago improv group The Second City before making her mark on NBC’s SNL, opened up during an interview at the Edinburgh TV Festival.

In a chat with TV presenter Graham Norton, Fey was shocked to learn that British writers are expected to pull all-nighters like their US counterparts to meet tight deadlines. “I can’t believe they’re staying up all night on a Tuesday to finish scripts for the next day’s read-throughs,” said Norton, clearly astonished by the American way of working.

Fey quickly chimed in with a lighter take, offering a simple solution. “Here’s a dirty secret, you don’t have to do it that way, you could start in the morning,” she joked, cracking up the crowd.

The UK version of SNL was announced in April, with SNL creator Lorne Michaels bringing the show to Sky for a 2026 release. Details, including the cast and guests, are still under wraps.

Reflecting on her tenure at Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey revealed that stepping into the iconic comedy series was initially quite daunting, especially given the early years’ heavy male dominance. “It felt incredibly intimidating... I had admired the show since I was young,” she candidly shared.

Going beyond her SNL days, Fey recounted a humorous encounter involving British politics. She disclosed that David Cameron, the former UK Prime Minister, once reached out to connect with her. “After 30 Rock wrapped, while I was filming Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in Brooklyn, NBC called to say, ‘David Cameron wants to meet you.’ I expected a formal sit-down, but he just wanted to say hello,” Fey chuckled. “He invited me to visit the UK, but I never made the trip. He also asked if I could persuade British showrunners to produce as many episodes as we do in the States. I told him, ‘No way. Everyone wants to be like Ricky Gervais — doing a dozen half-hour episodes and calling it quits.’”