Kate McKinnon Kicks Off Debut as ‘SNL’ Host With Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph During Monologue

Saturday Night Live‘s final episode of 2023 featured several alums of the sketch comedy show.

Not only did Kate McKinnon, who departed the show last year, return to host, but fellow alums Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph also made a special appearance during her monologue.

As McKinnon took to the Studio 8H stage, she started by saying it was weird to come back to her “old job” and do the monologue: “I don’t really like to talk in my own voice. That’s kind of why I got into this racket in the first place.”

The comedian proceeded to quip that she left SNL because “my skin was reacting poorly to the prosthetics” from all the characters she played over 10 years.

“I’ve never been myself in a monologue before,” she said, adding that she usually plays “the role of freak next to hot person” during past monologues with other hosts.

McKinnon also acknowledged the “big year” she has had after appearing as “weird Barbie” in Greta Gerwig’s summer blockbuster Barbie.

“I walked in on the first day and they were like, ‘Oh my god, you look perfect,’ and I was like, ‘These are my clothes,'” she joked.

The comedian went on to perform a spin on the classic holiday song “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” for SNL exec producer Lorne Michaels, singing, “Feed me figs and make me wigs/reactivate my ID.” But shortly after, Wiig and Rudolph surprised McKinnon onstage for an emotional moment, where they sang another song to close out the monologue: “We came home for Christmas/It’s time to start the show.”

McKinnon was a castmember on SNL from 2012 to 2022, Wiig was on the show from 2005 to 2012 and Rudolph served as a castmember from 2000 to 2007.

Kate McKinnon’s monologue! pic.twitter.com/qwSMX4qht0

— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) December 17, 2023

Earlier, during the cold open, SNL castmembers spoofed Hollywood award shows, only this time it was the 95th annual Christmas Awards honoring holiday excellence.

Billie Eilish returned to SNL for the third time on Saturday after previously serving as the musical guest in 2019 as well as hosting and being the musical guest in 2021.

Before she performed “What Was I Made For?”, a song from the Barbie soundtrack, Gerwig made a surprise appearance on the show, alongside McKinnon, to introduce the singer.

Live from Los Angeles, it's the 95th Annual Christmas Awards! pic.twitter.com/bFfm99br7J

— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) December 17, 2023