Overview
- Gillis, who hosted Saturday Night Live on Oct. 11, 2026, opened with a meandering monologue that drew groans after jokes about gyms, women and his hair that referenced Adolf Hitler and said “You’re either gay or you’re Hitler.”
- During a later sketch he accidentally uttered the F-word live on air, a raw live-television slip that producers and viewers noticed immediately.
- The episode included a cold open from Colin Jost’s Pete Hegseth welcoming the USS Abraham Lincoln home and musical performances by Rosalía, but critics said the show produced few memorable comedy moments beyond the controversy.
- Gillis was originally fired from SNL in September 2019 after resurfaced podcast clips showed racial and anti-gay slurs, and creator Lorne Michaels has said NBC executives forced that 2019 decision.
- Since 2019 Gillis has rebuilt his career with podcasts, specials and a Netflix series, and his repeated SNL bookings have reignited debates about accountability, talent rehabilitation and the risks of live broadcast for provocative performers.