While just a few months into the new year, Saturday Night Live has already welcomed numerous celebrities to Studio 8H like Jacob Elordi, Dakota Johnson, and Ayo Edebiri. And who can forget about the musical guests like Justin Timberlake and Jennifer Lopez? Starting 2024 off with a bang, SNL recently took a few weeks off. But with it being Saturday, the show is back with hosting duties going to Shane Gillis, a comedian who once found himself on the SNL roster for a short time.
Over the last few years, Gillis has watched as he became a top name in comedy. Already releasing several specials, the comedian even appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast. But back in 2019, Gillis watched as Lorne Michaels offered him a spot on SNL. Like many, the comedian jumped at the opportunity. But while excited to start his career on the historic show, his time came to an end when some of his past comments resurfaced. Having made some distasteful jokes in the past, many called for SNL to fire him. And that is exactly what they did.
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But Gillis didn’t seem to mind. After being let go from SNL, he wrote, “I’m a comedian who was funny enough to get SNL. That can’t be taken away. Of course I wanted an opportunity to prove myself at SNL, but I understand it would be too much of a distraction. I respect the decision they made. I’m honestly grateful for the opportunity. I was always a mad tv guy anyway.”
[RELATED: Who’s Coming Up On ‘Saturday Night Live’? Musical Guests, Hosts, and More]
Shane Gillis Teams Up With 21 Savage On ‘Saturday Night Live’
While Gillis never received a chance to showcase his talents on the SNL stage, he now finds himself hosting. Marking his debut on SNL, Gillis will also welcome musical guest 21 Savage to the show. Tonight’s episode also marks the first time the rapper has been on SNL. With both the host and musical guest completely new to SNL, the episode is sure to be full of memorable moments.
Fans shared their excitement about seeing Gillis on Saturday Night Live given his past with the show. Comments included, “Getting fire from SNL before doing one skit and then hosting is such a power move”. One person even noted how Gillis seemed to channel the late Norm MacDonald. “Throwback to when they fired Norm and a year later he came back to host and just roasted the whole crew. Lol.”
With Gillis already causing a frenzy on social media, be sure to tune in to SNL, airing live at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and Peacock.
(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Bob Woodruff Foundation)
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