Actor and comedian Shane Gillis will be the Feb. 24 host of Saturday Night Live (SNL), the show’s X (formerly Twitter) account announced Saturday.
SNL is welcoming Gillis back, this time as the guest host, with 21 Savage set to perform as the musical guest. The announcement marks a significant comeback for Gillis, whose brief tenure on the iconic sketch comedy series was cut short in 2019 due to controversy surrounding his use of insensitive language, according to The Hollywood Reporter (THR).
Gillis’s initial association with SNL was marred by controversy when a video from 2018 surfaced of him uttering racial slurs on “Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast,” a platform he co-hosted. “Chinatown’s fucking nuts,” Gillis said in the video, THR reported. “Let the fucking ch—s live there.”
Next show!!! pic.twitter.com/P6J6QQqOFY
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) February 4, 2024
After these comments came to light, SNL decided to sever ties with Gillis shortly after announcing him as one of the new cast members, the outlet reported. At the time, a representative for SNL’s creator, Lorne Michaels, issued a statement emphasizing the show’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity. The statement regretted the oversight in the vetting process which failed to identify Gillis’s past remarks, which were deemed “offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable.” (RELATED:‘Lazy Mediocre Hacks’: SNL Roasted For Skit Mocking Joe Rogan And Ted Cruz)
Over the years, SNL has fired numerous comedians on the show. Among them was comedian legend Norm Macdonald, who stood out with his unique humor, particularly with his relentless O.J. Simpson jokes during the trial, according to Rolling Stone. Despite Macdonald’s popularity, NBC executive Don Ohlmeyer, a friend of Simpson, fired him from the segment in 1997, a decision many, including Macdonald, disagreed with, considering it a significant loss to the show.
Just like Gillis, Macdonald returned to guest host the show a year later. In his monologue, the late comedian roasted SNL for firing him then asking him back to host.
Audio of his monologue was posted on X as a tribute for him by film director Billy Corben.