Jack Shep

Jack Shep
Shep at the 2026 BAFTA TV Awards
Born (1999-12-14) 14 December 1999 (age 26)
Bedfordshire, England
EducationKing’s College London
OccupationsActor, comedian, writer, director
TelevisionSaturday Night Live UK
Changing Ends
Big Boys
One Day

Jack Shep (born 1999) is a British comedian, actor, writer and director. He is best known as a member of the first cast of Saturday Night Live UK, the British version of the long-running American sketch comedy show.

Outside of comedy, Shep is associated with the London-based Windmill music scene, where he has directed music videos for My New Band Believe, Westside Cowboy, Blossom Caldarone and Sarah Meth.

Background and career

A native of Bedfordshire, Shep got his comedic start on TikTok, describing himself as "a gay teenager posting skits online." He began doing standup comedy in London; he was a finalist in a 2023 episode of the BBC New Comedy Awards, losing to Chantel Nash.

In 2022, he played "Maximilian the Posh Gay" in the Channel 4 series Big Boys. In 2024, he played Richard Hill in five episodes of Changing Ends on ITVX, and he had a small role in one episode of Netflix's One Day.

Since 2023, Shep has regularly hosted the comedy night Wanting to be Cool, Having to be Funny. Previous line-ups have included comedians like Sam Campbell, Ayoade Bamgboye and Bella Hull.

In 2026, Shep played Liam in Channel 4 comedy Break Clause.

He has described Tim Robinson and Patti Harrison as his comedy heroes.

SNL UK

In February 2026, Shep was announced as the youngest member of the cast of Saturday Night Live UK.

In reviews of the series' debut episode on 21 March 2026, Shep was frequently singled out for praise by reviewers. The Guardian called his impression of Princess Diana "disturbingly good". The New York Times called Shep "the evening's M.V.P." (alongside costar Hammed Animashaun), saying he "showed signs of an Ashley Padilla-like breakout, with very funny and nuanced performances". Variety called Shep "one to look out for, pulling off a Diana impression so good that when the sketch itself didn't land you didn't care. Within minutes, he was in another as a dancing baby fetus. No idea what that was about either, but because of Jack I didn't mind."

Music

Shep is associated with the Windmill scene, the experimental and post-punk bands popular in South London in the late 2010s and early 2020s. He contributed footage to "Live at Bush Hall", a live film of the band Black Country, New Road. In 2025, Shep directed the music video for "Lecture 25", the first single from My New Band Believe, the new project of former Black Midi member Cameron Picton. On the band's self-titled debut album, Shep is credited with vocals on four tracks. Shep has also directed videos for artists including Sarah Meth and Blossom Caldarone. In 2026, Shep directed the music video for “Pin Up Boys”, the second single from the debut album of the band Westside Cowboy.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Aroesti, Rachel (15 March 2026). "'How could this be anything other than funny?!' Behind the scenes of Saturday Night Live UK". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  2. ↑ "BBC New Comedy Awards: 2023, Episode 4 - Bethnal Green". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  3. ↑ Bennett, Steve. "The Gen Z comedy night that's not reinventing the genre : Features 2025 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
  4. ↑ "First look images released and additional casting announced for new Channel 4 comedy Break Clause | Channel 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  5. ↑ Kennedy, French; Jacob, Arushi; Turkeltaub, Payton; Shafer, Ellise (21 March 2026). "'Saturday Night Live U.K.' Cast Guide: Meet the Fresh Faces Leading the Inaugural Season". Variety. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  6. ↑ "Saturday Night Live UK cast revealed". British Comedy Guide. 4 February 2026. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  7. ↑ Turner, Lauren (22 March 2026). "Saturday Night Live UK: What did the critics think?". BBC News. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  8. ↑ Mangan, Lucy (22 March 2026). "Saturday Night Live UK review – it didn't fail and it could have been a lot worse". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  9. ↑ Zinoman, Jason; Tate, Gabriel (23 March 2026). "Britain's 'Saturday Night Live' as Seen From Both Sides of the Atlantic". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  10. ↑ Bryan, Scott (22 March 2026). "'SNL U.K.' Is Strongest When Leaning Into What Makes British Comedy Great — but Its Replicated Format Risks Feeling Too American: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  11. ↑ "Introducing – My New Band Believe". Remote Control Records. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  12. ↑ Picton, Cameron (2026). My New Band Believe (Media notes). Rough Trade Records. RT0600.
  13. ↑ "My New Band Believe by My New Band Believe - RYM/Sonemic". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 23 March 2026.