Comedian Shane Gillis returned for his third hosting stint on Saturday Night Live after describing women at public gyms as whores in his opening monologue, alongside an accidental on-air expletive during a Dr. Seuss-themed sketch.
What Happened During the SNL Episode
- Shane Gillis hosted Saturday Night Live for the third time, delivering a monologue that touched on weight loss, fitness, and gym attire.
- Viewers and social media users directed criticism toward his monologue remarks targeting women’s workout clothing.
The Monologue Remarks That Triggered Public Backlash
Gillis walked onto the stage in a matching black T-shirt and trousers for an opening routine. He discussed the intimidation of returning to public fitness centers as a heavier man in New York, before pivoting to comments about female gym-goers.
“I haven’t been to the gym in so long I didn’t know women just dress like whores now?” Gillis said during the broadcast, prompting groans from the in-studio audience. He continued the bit by describing neon activewear shorts and adding, “Look, I’m sorry, there’s no other way to describe [it].”
The Dr. Seuss Sketch Expletive and On-Air Recovery
Aside from the monologue, the comedian drew attention for a slip of the tongue during a sketch inspired by Dr. Seuss. Playing a concerned son trying to stop Sam-I-Am—portrayed by Andrew Dismukes—from harassing his father, played by Mikey Day, into eating green eggs and ham, Gillis dropped an unauthorized curse word.
Gillis told Dismukes, “Bro, it’s a non-starter. He said he doesn’t f***ing — jeez — like ‘em.”
The slip occurred too quickly for NBC’s live broadcast censors to catch, though the network muted the audio for online clips posted later that night. The expletive remained audible on recorded versions available via Peacock. Day’s character called back to the mistake later in the sketch, declaring, “You’re a loser, and you said a bad word!” To which Gillis replied, “Yes I did.”
During the final curtain call alongside musical guest Rosalia, Gillis addressed the blunder directly, telling the audience, “Sorry about earlier.”
A Complicated History With the NBC Sketch Show
The episode marked Gillis’s third time hosting the long-running NBC series, following previous hosting stints including in 2024.
In September 2019, NBC announced Gillis as a featured cast member alongside Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman. Just five days later, the network fired him after podcast clips surfaced featuring him using anti-gay slurs and mocking Asian people. At the time, SNL creator Lorne Michaels was reportedly forced to drop Gillis by network executives despite disagreeing with the decision.
Since his firing, Gillis has built a massive independent following through a popular podcast, stand-up specials, and the Netflix comedy series Tires. Michaels has since sought to mend ties with the comedian, offering him the role of Donald Trump for the show’s 50th season—an offer Gillis declined—before inviting him back to host.
| Hosting Appearance | Notable Incident |
|---|---|
| Hired Cast Member | Fired five days prior to debut due to resurfaced podcast clips. |
| First Hosting Stint | Bombed portions of monologue; later blamed Gen Z audience members. |
| Third Hosting Stint | Sparked backlash for monologue remarks and dropped an unscripted F-bomb. |
Reviews for the broader episode were mixed. Gillis did acquit himself better than the last two hosts, but that’s a small bar to clear. Some criticized his delivery, noting that he read cue cards like he was pissed he had to be there.
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