The comedian’s curse word would have been censored on the U.S. version of the show

Tina Fey Drops F-Bomb During First-Ever SNL UK Monologue: ‘We Are Allowed to Swear in This Version’

Tina Fey hosts ‘Saturday Night Live UK’.Credit : Sky One

Tina Fey is embracing the freedoms that come with hosting the first episode of Saturday Night Live UK.

On Saturday, March 21, the 55-year-old comedian, who rose to fame as a writer and performer on SNL from 1997 to 2006, began her opening monologue by celebrating her accomplishments as the “youngest person ever to host SNL UK.”

“My name is Tina Fey. Here in the U.K., you might know me as the teacher from Mean Girls, or you might remember a long time ago when I played Sarah Palin on SNL US,” she continued before a photo of Julia Louis-Dreyfus popped up on the screen. “Or maybe you feel like you recognize me as the lady from the show Veep. And that’s fine too.”

Later on in the monologue, Fey opened up the floor for a quick Q&A, during which she accepted a surprise question from Nicola Coughlan, who sat among the audience members in the studio.

“It is lovely to see you, but my question is, if this is SNL UK, then why are you the first host,” the Bridgerton actress, 39, asked. “Shouldn’t it be a British icon like David Beckham or Judi Dench or Shrek?”

In response, Fey simply joked that, for the first episode, “none of you f—ers would do it.”

Within seconds, the 30 Rock alum’s choice of language — which would undoubtedly get censored out in Studio 8H, the home of the U.S. version of SNL, due to FCC regulations on broadcast television — prompted Michael Cera to rise from his seat with a comment of his own.

“I think you just swore a second ago, you said the f-word,” the Superbad actor said, to which Fey responded, “Yeah, we are allowed to swear in this version of the show.”

Tina Fey Drops F-Bomb During First-Ever SNL UK Monologue: ‘We Are Allowed to Swear in This Version’ Michael Cera, Nicola Coughlan
Michael Cera and Nicola Coughlan on ‘Saturday Night Live UK’.Sky One

After that clarification incited some cheers from the audience, Cera, 37, went on to try out the new freedom for himself by blurting out a few British curse words.

“I think I would use it sparingly,” he quipped after his outburst. “It feels kind of… I’m classy.”

With enough time for one more guest before transitioning into the sketches that featured a fresh lineup of cast members — including Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi and Paddy Young — Fey welcomed Graham Norton onto the stage for an unprompted interview.

“Tina, I believe you’ve always had a deep love of British comedy,” the late night host, 62, began before encouraging Fey to show off her expertise with a speed round of impressions and references to iconic U.K. comedies. “Let me help you. I have a gift for making American celebrities likable to a British audience.”