The 17 Most Controversial ‘SNL’ Hosts and Guests of All Time, Including This Weekend’s Shane Gillis

Depending on who you ask, tonight’s episode of “Saturday Night Live” is either the completion of a redemption arc or a tone-deaf repeat of old mistakes.

Shane Gillis is set to host the show alongside musical guest 21 Savage, which will mark the Studio 8H debut that he was scheduled to make five years ago. Gillis was announced as an addition to the show’s cast in 2019, but old clips quickly began to resurface of Gillis making jokes on topics related to race, gender, and sexuality that many people found offensive. Lorne Michaels and “SNL” walked back the decision and fired Gillis before his tenure could begin, but his star has only grown as a stand-up comedian in the subsequent half decade. Now a bona fide comedy star in his own right, his hosting debut should be one of the most polarizing moments of the season.

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He’s hardly the most controversial host the show has ever had — Donald Trump was hosting as recently as eight years ago, even after he’d announced his presidential candidacy, and the much-maligned Elon Musk episode now seems even stranger given recent events. For as long as “Saturday Night Live” has been on the air, people have complained about bad hosts. Bringing in a new celebrity every week for 48 years is tough: They’re not all gonna be winners!

From professional athletes with no comedic timing to politicians who needlessly alienate half the audience (while also having no comedic timing) to people who theoretically should have been good but blew it, “SNL” history is littered with controversial hosts. Keep reading for 17 of the most polarizing choices.

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