Danny Dyer is set for a huge night on British TV as he takes over SNL UK just hours after watching his daughter Dani compete for Strictly glory
Danny Dyer is about to have one seriously busy Saturday night.
The EastEnders and Rivals star has been confirmed as the next host of Saturday Night Live UK, taking charge of the live comedy show on 10 October with singer-songwriter Sasha Keable as musical guest.
But the timing makes his new gig considerably more interesting.
Just a couple of hours before Danny steps onto the SNL UK stage, his daughter Dani Dyer is due to be competing on Strictly Come Dancing.
That means viewers could potentially see Danny supporting his daughter from the Strictly sidelines before he becomes the centre of attention himself later that night.
And considering his reactions to Dani’s dancing have already been getting viewers talking, it could make for quite a Dyer family takeover.
When is Danny Dyer hosting SNL UK?
Danny Dyer will host Saturday Night Live UK on Saturday, 10 October 2026, at 10 pm on Sky One and NOW.
Sky has confirmed that Danny will be joined by South London singer-songwriter Sasha Keable as the episode’s musical guest.
The programme is taking a scheduled weekend break before returning with Danny for its fourth episode of the current series.
He certainly seems ready for it.
Announcing the news, Danny joked that the job would be a chance to see whether he could cope with live television before signing off with a characteristically enthusiastic message to viewers.
It will also put him in some impressive company.
Jeff Goldblum, Jamie Demetriou and Amelia Dimoldenberg have already hosted episodes during the current run.
Is Danny Dyer hosting SNL UK on the same night as Dani’s Strictly appearance?
Yes. Danny Dyer’s SNL UK episode is scheduled for the same Saturday night that daughter Dani Dyer is due to compete on Strictly Come Dancing.
The scheduling creates an unusual television double-header for the family.
Dani is competing in the 2026 series with professional partner Nikita Kuzmin, having returned after an injury brought her previous attempt at Strictly to an abrupt end.
Danny, meanwhile, has already been spotted enthusiastically supporting his daughter from the audience.
During the first live show, he watched as Dani and Nikita performed their samba, with the pair scoring 22 points.
His presence didn’t exactly go unnoticed.
When judge Craig Revel Horwood criticised aspects of Dani’s performance, cameras caught Danny reacting from the audience, giving viewers another glimpse of the protective dad behind his famously tough screen persona.
Now he’ll have his own live performance to worry about.
Danny Dyer has already been stealing attention on Strictly
Dani may be the contestant, but her dad has already proved rather difficult for the cameras to ignore.
Danny was sitting in the audience for her opening live performance as she finally got the opportunity to properly begin her Strictly journey.
Dani had originally been paired with Nikita for the previous series but was forced to withdraw after fracturing her ankle during training.
The pair were reunited for 2026, although their reunion prompted some viewers to debate whether their previous training time could give them an advantage.
Their first competitive dance this year put Dani safely into the middle of the leaderboard.
And with Danny watching from the front row, viewers may now have another reason to keep an eye on the audience whenever Dani receives her scores.
Especially with his own major live television appearance coming immediately afterwards.
Why Danny Dyer’s SNL UK episode could be a big one
Danny isn’t simply appearing as a guest.
As host, he’ll be at the centre of the entire live programme.
SNL UK follows the format made famous by the long-running American show, with each episode built around a celebrity host performing alongside the regular comedy cast.
There are topical sketches, live performances and a British version of Weekend Update.
And although its traditional television audience is relatively modest, the programme has demonstrated considerably greater reach online.
The opening sketch from this series’ first episode, featuring Harry and Meghan returning to Britain, reached around six million YouTube views, according to Chortle.
Amelia Dimoldenberg’s opening monologue from the latest episode had also amassed around 2.9 million TikTok views by the time Danny’s hosting slot was announced.
That means whatever Danny does on the night has the potential to travel considerably further than the live Sky audience.
Given his reputation for being unpredictable, producers may be hoping that’s exactly what happens.
Who else is hosting SNL UK?
Danny isn’t the only major British star taking control of the show during October.
After his episode on 10 October, Happy Valley and House of the Dragon star James Norton will host on 17 October, accompanied by The Streets.
Then Wicked star Cynthia Erivo will host on 24 October, with Blossoms providing the music.
Sky says the current series will continue to feature a different celebrity host and musical guest each week alongside its regular ensemble cast.
But Danny’s episode has something the others don’t.
His daughter could be fighting for her place in one of Britain’s biggest entertainment shows only hours before he has to front another.
So on 10 October, the biggest question in the Dyer household might not be whether Dani can impress the Strictly judges.
It could be whether her dad can make it through live SNL UK without stealing the entire Saturday night.