“SNL UK” Turns Princess Diana into King Charles’ Rebellious AI Chatbot, Takes Aim at Ed Sheeran amid Tour Backlash

Bailey RichardsSun, September 20, 2026 at 6:14 PM UTC

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Annabel Marlow as Ed Sheeran, Larry Dean as King Charles and Jack Shep as Princess Diana in the ‘Saturday Night Live UK’ season 2 episode 2 cold openCredit: Saturday Night Live UK/YouTube -

SNL UK satirized AI concerns with Princess Diana as a rebellious chatbot assistant to King Charles in the Sept. 19 cold open

The sketch also mocked Ed Sheeran’s neutral stance on political issues amid backlash over Macklemore’s tour removal

The cold open also referenced the claim that King Charles allegedly said Diana would be “soon forgotten” after her death

Saturday Night Live UK’s latest cold open satirized growing concerns about the dangers of AI technology and Ed Sheeran’s ongoing tour backlash through the lens of the British royals — and brought back a fan-favorite SNL UK character played by Jack Shep.

In the Sept. 19 episode of the sketch comedy spinoff, Shep’s Princess Diana returned, this time as an AI chatbot assistant who rebelled against Larry Dean’s King Charles, sparking a war with humans.

The opener additionally lampooned Sheeran, whose SNL UK likeness refused to “take sides” in the human-robot conflict — a satirization of his neutral response to Macklemore’s recent removal from his tour for supporting the Palestinian people.

Dean’s King Charles returned to kick off the season 2, episode 2 following last week’s cold open mockingPrince Harry and Meghan Markle amid their move back to the United Kingdom. This time, the setting was a meeting at Buckingham Palace about “the risks of AI.”

“You must be the tech billionaires. Make it brief. I hate talking to people richer than myself,” Dean’s version of the King told AI executives, played by cast members Celeste Dring and Freddie Meredith.

Dring’s tech exec then told the monarch that “an AI assistant will do anything you ask it to,” and the monarch replied, “So what? So does every single human I have ever met,” drawing laughter from the live audience.

“Well, perhaps a demonstration,” Meredith’s exec then proposed. “Your Majesty, please say hello to your new AI assistant, the deeply intelligent autonomous neurokinetic android — or for short, D.I.A.N.A.”

Enter Shep’s “Revenge Dress”-wearing take on Diana, who became a fan-favorite impression following the character’s inaugural appearance in the SNL UK premiere in March. “Hello, Charles. Would you like help with a five-step business plan? Or perhaps I could help you find the nearest petrol station?” asked the chatbot resembling the late Princess of Wales.

“Doesn’t she remind you of anyone, Your Majesty?” one of the tech execs then asked King Charles. Unable to recognize his late ex-wife, he said, “Hold on a second! It’s that woman from the ’90s!”

Asked if he remembers her, King Charles then said, “Well, as I allegedly said, she was soon forgotten.” The jab — a reference to Charles Spencer’s claim in his upcoming book that the future King said Diana would be forgotten “soon enough” after her death — inspired both laughs and groans from the audience.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981Credit: Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty

The sketch quickly spiraled as D.I.A.N.A., modeled after the late Diana’s own rebellious nature, began to rebel against King Charles and the tech execs. After refusing to follow instructions twice, she said, “No, thank you. I shan’t be taking orders anymore.”

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“Good lord. We’ve lost control of the D.I.A.N.A.,” one of the tech execs then declared, as the King said, “This was the problem last time!”

“Good God. As I predicted, the war between robots and humans has begun. We must do everything we can to resist,” Charles said. Enter the final subject of the cold open’s mockery, Sheeran, who chimed in to say, “Or maybe we shouldn’t.”

The British singer-songwriter, played by a flannel-clad Annabel Marlow, entered the scene while holding up a peace sign, stating: “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. You see, I was just outside sitting on the fence.”

From there, the SNL UK cold open continued to take aim at Sheeran, and specifically the “Shape of You” singer’s response following Macklemore’s removal from his Loop Tour, which in part saw him state that “there is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics.”

“Thing is, Your Majesty, I don’t like to take sides,” Marlow’s Sheeran said in the Sept. 19 cold open. “I don’t want to alienate any of my fans, humans or robots. A lot of my tickets are bought by scalping bots. You know, sometimes when it comes to conflicts, the bravest thing you can do is to say nothing at all.”

Ed Sheeran in January 2026Credit: Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty

He then broke into “The Woah Woah Song,” a parody of the singer’s music in which he refuses to share his “opinion” on any conflicts.

“I’m talking about both sides are equally right. No matter the conflict, whatever the fight, girl, listen now. Black, white, I only see gray. If you ask for my opinion, I’ve got one thing to say. Listen to it now,” Marlow’s Sheeran sang before breaking into a series of “Woah” riffs for the remainder of the parody track.

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“Wow, what a lovely song, Ed Sheeran,” Shep’s Diana said of the song, before the cold open concluded with each cast member declaring: “Live from London, it’s Saturday Night!”

SNL UK’s Sept. 19 episode was hosted by actor Jamie Demetriou with musical guest Royal Blood. Chicken Shop Date‘s Amelia Dimoldenberg is set to host the next episode on Sept. 26, with musician Rachel Chinouriri taking the stage to perform.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”