“The White Lotus” star Aimee Lou Wood poked fun at last year’s controversial “Saturday Night Live” spoof of her in the promo for this week’s forthcoming “SNL U.K.” episode.
The promo begins with some of the “SNL U.K.” cast members covering their mouths ahead of Wood’s arrival, prompting cast member Paddy Young to warn, “Guys, she’s gonna know.” Wood then arrives and tells the “SNL U.K.” stars that she is excited to host this week and “wipe the slate clean.”
“I’m so excited. I can’t wait to get started! You know, especially after the whole thing in America with the teeth,” Wood says. “It’s going to feel good to just wipe the slate clean.” Her excitement diminishes quickly, however, when she sees the “SNL U.K.” cast members keeping their hands in front of their mouths.
“Have you guys got fake teeth in?” Wood asks, concluding, “Wow, this is all just one big setup to humiliate me then. I thought ‘SNL U.K.’ would be different, but I was wrong.” Her assumption is proven incorrect when the comedians reveal that they have actually all put on fake mustaches in order to try to capitalize on some of Young’s online popularity.
The promo ends with Wood getting a fake mustache of her own before embracing her new “SNL U.K.” friends in a group hug. You can check out the promo yourself in the video below.
The “SNL U.K.” promo is a cheeky reference to a controversy that sprang up last year after the U.S. version of “Saturday Night Live” aired a MAGA-themed “White Lotus” Season 3 spoof starring Scarlett Johansson and Jon Hamm. In the spoof, “SNL” star Sarah Sherman appears as Wood’s Chelsea sporting an exaggerated set of fake teeth.
Wood took to social media not long after the spoof aired to share her displeasure with its mocking depiction of her appearance.
“I did find the ‘SNL’ thing mean and unfunny,” Wood wrote in an Instagram story post at the time. “Such a shame cuz I had such a great time watching it a couple weeks ago. Yes, take the piss for sure — that’s what the show is about — but there must be a cleverer, more nuanced, less cheap way?”
Sherman herself later responded to Wood’s criticisms in an interview with Vanity Fair in which the “SNL” star said she felt “terrible” about the whole ordeal.
“I was excited to play her because she’s so iconic, her character is so iconic, and I f—king obviously never meant to hurt anyone’s feelings,” Sherman said. “Never in a million years did I get into comedy to make anyone upset. I feel terrible that anyone would feel bad.”
