A late-night comedy sketch waded straight into one of the week's most sensitive royal controversies, and not everyone will find it funny.
SNL U.K. Weekend Update tackled the allegations against Meghan Markle's father during its broadcast on the weekend of Oct. 24, 2026, with co-host Paddy Young turning the unresolved claims into a royal punchline alongside jokes about James Bond auditions and a Disney+ Glee reboot.
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What Paddy Young said during SNL U.K. Weekend Update
Young opened the segment by framing the controversy as fresh material for royal satire. 'In royal news, it's been a big 24 hours for Meghan Markle, whose dad has been accused of being an alleged pedophile, in another pathetic attempt to win over the British public,' he said. The line referenced reports that surfaced just days earlier about Thomas Markle Sr., Meghan's estranged 82-year-old father, who is reportedly under scrutiny in the Philippines.
He then brought up Thomas Markle's 2025 move to the Philippines, joking, 'In 2025, Thomas Markle moved to the Philippines in a sure sign of his innocence.' Young closed the bit with a sharper line aimed squarely at the royal family's history with Meghan: 'If the allegations about Meghan Markle's father are true and he is a pedophile, there is a genuine chance Meghan could be considered royal.' Co-host Ania Magliano then pivoted to lighter territory, announcing the reported Glee reboot on Disney+ and noting the original show was 'famously struck by repeated tragedies, including multiple cast deaths, and also being written, produced, and broadcast.'
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The allegations behind the SNL U.K. Meghan Markle joke
The jokes didn't come out of nowhere. On Oct. 22, 2026, British tabloid The Sun reported that Thomas Markle Jr., Meghan's half-brother, said he had discovered alleged child sexual abuse material at their father's former home in Cebu, Philippines. Thomas Markle Jr. described finding images and videos across four boxes, computers, and an old cellphone, and said he alerted authorities. Philippine Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Ty reportedly confirmed on Oct. 23 that a task force focused on human trafficking and online child abuse in Cebu was reviewing the matter.
Thomas Markle Sr. firmly denied the claims. 'I'm shocked, I'm hurt and I'm very upset that my son is making these accusations against me,' he said, according to the Daily Mail. Other reports quoted him calling the allegations 'sick lies' and insisting he 'could never do what I'm being accused of.' No criminal charges or court findings have been reported, and the claims remain allegations rather than proven facts.
Meghan Markle's response to the controversy
Meghan addressed the situation directly in a statement, saying she was 'deeply distressed' by the reports. She revealed that she had learned of separate 'disturbing allegations' against her father back in 2018, and that a letter detailing those concerns had been sent to the Metropolitan Police and Britain's Royalty and Specialist Protection unit. She said that letter was later shared with her, and that the information shaped her decision to keep her children, Archie and Lilibet, away from their maternal grandfather.
By Oct. 24, 2026, additional reporting suggested Meghan was 'upset and frustrated' after the Metropolitan Police reportedly admitted it had failed to act on the 2018 letter. Despite the historical correspondence, reports indicated the Met was not currently investigating Thomas Markle in the United Kingdom, leaving a gap between what Meghan says she flagged years ago and what police actually did with that information.
Why the SNL U.K. bit drew attention beyond comedy circles
Weekend Update has built a reputation for leaning into uncomfortable headlines rather than avoiding them, and this segment pushed that approach to its limit. Pairing an unresolved allegation involving child abuse with a punchline about royal acceptance is the kind of joke that tends to split audiences fast, drawing both laughs and criticism depending on how viewers feel about the subject matter. Variety's report on the segment did not note any immediate statement from Meghan, Disney+, Bond producers, or Glee's production team reacting to the jokes themselves.
The Bond-related bit was lower stakes by comparison. Young announced, 'I know this is late, but I'd like to put myself forward,' referencing reported auditions for the next 007, then deliberately fumbled the line 'The James Bond' by swapping in 'bollocks' instead. No casting decision has been confirmed publicly, and the joke worked more as a parody of audition speculation than commentary on any real contender.
What comes next for the Markle allegations and the entertainment stories
The central unresolved thread remains the Philippine inquiry into what Thomas Markle Jr. says he found at his father's former home. Whether that task force confirms evidence, opens formal proceedings, or clears Thomas Markle Sr. will determine how this story develops from here. The question of what British police did or didn't do with the 2018 letter also remains unsettled, and further reporting may clarify whether that information triggered any formal action at the time.
On the entertainment side, Disney+ has not released details on the Glee reboot beyond the initial announcement, so there's no confirmed cast, creative team, or premiere date yet. Similarly, no official word has come on who will next play James Bond, meaning Young's audition joke will likely keep getting recycled by comedians until a real announcement lands.
