Description: The October 24, 2026 sketch mixes Wicked with vintage Nollywood. Understand the casting switch, Lagos/Oz pun, and “Defying Gravity” makeover joke.
Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba in the Wicked movies, plays Glinda in this sketch. Ayoade Bamgboye becomes the green witch instead. The musical is then restaged like a melodramatic Nigerian home-video trailer from the late 1990s or early 2000s. Its humor rewards both Wicked fans and viewers familiar with that particular era of Nigerian cinema.
When did it air and who made it?
Saturday Night Live UK series two, episode six aired on Sky One on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 10 p.m. British Summer Time. Erivo hosted and Blossoms performed. Bamgboye wrote “Nollywood Presents: Nigerian Wicked” and played Elphaba; Hammed Animashaun played the Wizard. Ariana Grande plays Glinda in the films, making Erivo's switch immediately noticeable.
What does Nollywood mean here?
Nollywood is the common name for Nigeria's film industry. The sketch imitates a specific generation of home-video melodramas, not every Nigerian movie. Sudden slaps, oversized reactions, emphatic sound effects, beaded doorway curtains and early-2000s jewelry create the visual language. Nigerian outlet BellaNaija highlighted the period clothing and interiors. These are recognizable cultural references, rather than a claim that all Nigerian films are cheaply made.
Why “LagOz” and the three-color city?
The witches leave Shiz University for “LagOz,” combining Lagos, Nigeria, with Oz, the fantasy land. The destination is called the “Emerald, White and Emerald City,” remixing the original Emerald City with the green-white-green stripes of Nigeria's flag. A strange fantasy name doubles as a geography and flag joke.
Why a Birkin, a BBL and near-kisses?
Glinda asks for a Birkin handbag. Elphaba wants a “skinny BBL,” a cosmetic procedure that changes the shape of the buttocks, that “defies gravity.” The title of Elphaba's famous liberation song becomes the language of a beauty consultation. The supposedly all-powerful Wizard turns out to be broke. Repeated almost-kisses nod to romantic readings of the witches' relationship by some fans; an explosive trailer ending pushes the melodrama further. These are fictional character jokes, not claims about the performers.
Why did it spread after broadcast?
On October 26, Chortle reported around 1.7 million YouTube plays, 1.6 million Instagram plays and 1.4 million TikTok plays. They are platform plays, not unique people. Real viewers praised the curtains, wigs and sound effects; others asked what Nollywood tradition the sketch referenced. Bamgboye publicly thanked the team. This account does not claim to have watched the complete broadcast directly: details were checked against broadcaster information, contemporary reporting and identifiable reactions.
Bottom line
Oz becomes Lagos, the film's Elphaba becomes Glinda, and “defying gravity” becomes a cosmetic wish. The payoff is the care with which a global musical is rebuilt in a specific, nostalgic Nollywood style.
References (6)
- https://www.sky.com/watch/saturday-night-live-uk
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cPVqcS-6Lw
- https://www.nme.com/news/tv/cynthia-erivo-nigerian-wicked-saturday-night-live-uk-sketch-nollywood-3974235
- https://www.bellanaija.com/2026/10/cynthia-erivo-ayoade-bamgboye-nigerian-wicked-snl-uk-looks/
- https://www.chortle.co.uk/video/2026/10/26/61909/snls_nigerian_wicked_sketch_goes_ciral
- https://www.reddit.com/r/livefromlondon/comments/1xelx0c/nigerian_wicked_snl_uk/
