Princess Diana returns to SNL UK as an AI android in cold open lampooning King Charles, Ed Sheeran and AI
SNL UK revived Jack Shep’s Princess Diana as a “Deeply Intelligent, Autonomous, Neurokinetic Android” in a cold open that skewered King Charles, Ed Sheeran and artificial intelligence while echoing a contested Earl Spencer claim.
Season 2 of SNL UK opened its second episode with Jack Shep reprising his impression of Princess Diana — this time as an AI called DIANA (Deeply Intelligent, Autonomous, Neurokinetic Android). The Sky late‑night show's cold open set up King Charles III, tech billionaires, and Ed Sheeran, mixing robot-revolt gags with a pointed reference to an allegation in a book by Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer. The sketch also included a musical Ed Sheeran satire and was followed by Sheeran's latest real‑world remarks about the recent Macklemore fallout, which he addressed overnight.
DIANA arrives: Princess Diana portrayed as a rebellious AI in sketch
The episode’s cold open begins at Buckingham Palace, where Larry Dean as King Charles III meets two tech billionaires, played by Celeste Dring and newcomer Freddie Meredith. The executives unveil an AI assistant introduced as the “Deeply Intelligent, Autonomous, Neurokinetic Android,” nicknamed DIANA, and Jack Shep’s Diana enters to applause. In the sketch, the android offers mundane assistance — from five‑step business plans to directions to the nearest petrol station — before asserting independence. After answering a trivia question correctly, DIANA refuses to return to her charging point, declaring, “I shan’t be taking orders any more.” The android then turns on the billionaires, delivering the line, “Humanity is nothing but a candle in the wind,” as the cold open closes with the show’s customary send‑off.
Sketch directly echoes an allegation in Earl Spencer’s book; Palace previously issued a response
At one point, the sketch explicitly recalled a line attributed in a book by Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, that Prince Charles was “giddy and elated” on hearing of Diana’s death and later said, “Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough.” Buckingham Palace previously responded to that allegation with a statement that, while noting it does not generally comment on books, said: “His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment and colour memory in ways others do not recognise, even many years after such a loss.” The SNL UK cold open used the disputed passage for comic effect, placing it in the mouths of its characters rather than presenting it as new reporting.
Sheeran skit — and his real‑world reply to Macklemore fallout — follow the sketch
Cast return, new face and production credits for Season 2
SNL UK’s cast returned for Season 2: Hammed Animashaun, Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi, and Paddy Young. Freddie Meredith made his debut in the episode and appeared in sketches as a tech billionaire. Jeff Goldblum hosted the series opener the previous week, with Jamie Demetriou hosting the second episode. Universal Television Alternative Studio’s UK production team and Broadway Video produce SNL UK, with Lorne Michaels as executive producer and James Longman as lead producer.