NEW YORK — Following its landmark 50th anniversary celebrations, “Saturday Night Live” is gearing up for new episodes featuring notable appearances. Lady Gaga will be both the host and musical guest on March 8, while Shane Gillis will take the reins as host on March 1, with Tate McRae providing the musical entertainment.
Gillis, who will be making his second hosting appearance, will welcome McRae, whose new album titled “So Close to What” is set to release just days prior to the show. Lady Gaga, returning for her second time as a host and fifth as a musical guest, will have launched her latest album, “Mayhem,” a day before her episode airs.
Shane Gillis’s journey with “SNL” has been tumultuous; he was dismissed from the cast in 2019 before even appearing on screen due to public backlash from a 2018 podcast segment where he used an anti-Asian slur. Following this incident, he expressed regret and described himself as a “comedian who pushes boundaries.” Since then, Gillis has made a name for himself as the co-creator and star of the Netflix series “Tires,” which is returning for its second season this year. He had previously hosted “SNL” last February.
The long-running sketch comedy show is riding high after its recent 50th anniversary special, which turned out to be NBC’s most-watched prime-time entertainment event in five years, attracting nearly 15 million viewers.
The 3½-hour celebration, filled with comedic sketches, high-profile musical performances, and surprise guest appearances, not only captured the largest audience for the network since the 2020 Golden Globes but also stood out as one of the biggest telecasts in recent memory, only surpassed in viewership by the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, according to NBC’s reports.
The festivities commenced with “SNL50: The Homecoming Concert,” where Lady Gaga captivated the audience with two performances. She stepped in for Justin Timberlake in a Lonely Island medley alongside Andy Samberg and several other notable guests and later delivered a rendition of “Shallow” that wrapped up the celebratory night.
