Michael Che and Colin Jost consistently bring laughs during “Weekend Update,” but sometimes these jokes get a little more mean-spirited than I saw coming, and sometimes Che even ropes Jost’s wife Scarlett Johansson into the “fun.” (Though she has her own reservations and rules.) The longest-running of these, aka the popular SNL “Joke Swap,” is basically a time-honored tradition at this point, but the two men have pulled many other pranks on each other, both on-air and in their personal lives. So, how did this prank war get started in the first place?

Well, there is a story behind “the war,” and someone finally asked Che about it. You’d have to go all the way back to Jost's 36th birthday in 2018 to get to the bottom of why Che and Jost are so brutal together. Let’s set the stage. Johansson set up a sweet dinner reservation with her husband. Then, Che sent a clown. Here’s what he said on Boardroom Talks:

Che posted a text Jost had sent him with a balloon creation on his head back in 2018, which is how we know this was Jost's 36th. (And also how we know this story is definitely a true one.)

However, what I hadn’t realized was that this was the moment that really ramped things up and spawned all the moments that came after. This includes Che intimidating Jost into thinking he needed to literally shave his head before stopping the bit. One time he tricked Jost into taking a brutal shot at Scarlett Johansson live on the air. One time outside of the office his birthday shoutout to Jost was straight trolling.

There was one time on SNL he even told the audience to stop laughing on “Weekend Update” but only when Jost was telling a joke. I mean balloon hat aside, some of these pranks are brutal.

Honestly, I know Jost also gets in some digs with Che during “Joke Swap,” but now that I’m really thinking about it, a lot of these pranks that tow the line are really coming from Che and not his “Update” partner. Some of them have clearly even gotten Jost into a little bit of trouble with his famous wife.

They are all very funny, of course, but Jost has admitted he’s at a “structural disadvantage” when it comes to the famous segment (and doubtless the prank war in general) during an episode of New Heights, and really only genuinely worried Che once when he made him take some shots at Kendrick Lamar, whom Che loves. There’s always time though, Colin, there's always time.

Michael Che’s Netflix special, Michael Che: Shot in Minnesota, debuted on the Top 10 list this weekend. The comedian’s pretty proud of the fact, though he feels like he may have set himself up for some uncomfortable moments by taking press in the days leading up to its release. In fact, in a new post, he said he believes the grassroots initiative was the thing that brought eyeballs to his new special… and not the brouhaha surrounding what happened with a recent SNL guest host on the air.

How Che Got Embroiled In Shane Gillis Monologue Drama

To be clear, Michael Che has told some hairy jokes on SNL before, particularly whilst doing joke swap with Colin Jost. Regardless, he was not the subject of attention during the NBC sketch comedy series’ October 10th episode. Instead, it was host Shane Gillis who shocked audiences, the Internet and even some people previously involved in the show with commentary about women’s gym clothing during his monologue. His use of the word “whores” to describe women getting their workout on garnered more headlines than his f-bomb.

Che was seemingly a little mad this whole thing went down because it happened right before his SNL special dropped. He’d (likely) already committed to press for the special, and knew deep down that people would want to talk about Shane Gillis. Indeed, there was a very uncomfortable exchange when he appeared on NBC’s Today.

Now, in a new post on his Instagram, he seems to be implying he should have skipped the press and let word of mouth do its thing.

Now, by the time of this writing Monday morning, Che’s special had fallen out of the Top 10. Intriguingly, other special Mojo Brookzz I Know You Lying has been going strong in the Top 10 since it landed on the Netflix release schedule on October 6th. Netflix has a tendency to do really with comedy specials and has developed a loyal fanbase when it comes to that type of content on the streamer, so I would have liked to have seen Che’s special stick it out on the list a little longer, and maybe it could have used a bit more word of mouth.

I’ll also just mention, I only heard about his special because Che started commenting on how Gillis’ joke would impact his press for Shot in Minnesota. It hit the 2026 TV schedule on October 13th -- three days after Gillis' SNL episodes, and Netflix started recommending the special to me over the weekend after I started researching the topic. So, there’s certainly different ways to get the word out there.

To the delight of hardcore SNL fans and comedy nerds everywhere, we got an SNL and SNL UK crossover last night. During the cold opener, James Austin Johnson was brought on to do his fantastic impression of President Donald Trump, and not surprisingly, he crushed on the other side of the pond too. Johnson peppered his trademark rambling with plenty of UK references and had the cast members sharing the scenes with him trying to fight off laughter as he ripped on them for not having anyone in the cast that could play the President.

The video of Austin’s appearance has already been watched more than a million times on YouTube, which is a huge number for the first day of an SNL UK clip. The dozens of comments I looked through were all extremely positive too and about equally split between fans praising the comedian’s impression and fans hyping up the fact that we finally got a collaboration. I wholeheartedly agree with both takes and now my brain is going a mile a minute thinking of all the collaborations I want to see. Specifically, it’s thinking of one collaboration I want to see.

Before I get into where I hope this heads, you can check out the full video of Johnson’s impression below…

There’s obviously a whole host of beloved SNL characters I’d love to see on the UK version, as well as some outrageous British weirdness that I’d love to see on the flagship version, but to me, there’s a pretty clear collaboration that we need and that would make a ton of sense. We desperately need a Weekend Update swap.

Some random SNL UK sketches have gone viral and there’s been a lot of positivity around the cast, but I think the most consistently buzzy thing about SNL UK, at least from our perspective in the United States, has been the spinoff’s take on Weekend Update. Co-anchors Paddy Young and Ania Magliano have developed a really nice chemistry and read the fake news without pulling a single punch. At least a joke or two of theirs gets shared widely on social media after every episode.

It would be fun to expose Young and Magliano to a wider audience in the United States, and it would be fun to bring Michael Che and Colin Jost over to SNL UK as a delightful surprise for fans. They’ve, of course, been hosting the US version for over a decade now and are widely considered to be among the best to ever do it. Just as the live audience lost their minds when they saw James Austin Johnson’s Trump, I’d have to imagine they would be so fired up to see Jost and Che.

Beyond just the novelty, however, it would be nice to see both duos get out of their comfort zone and work on jokes for a new audience. I’m sure Che and Jost would have a field day coming up with some wild UK-based segments and topics of conversation, and it would be fun for everyone to see Young and Magliano go for the throat with some jokes that would likely feel edgier and more aggressive than what the US audience normally gets to see.

I have no idea if James Austin Johnson’s guest appearance is a sign that we’re about to get a lot more crossovers or if it’ll go down as a one-off bit of fun. We've gotten SNL stars as hosts before, but this felt like a more direct shared universe situation. Personally, I’d like to see this sorta thing happen a lot more often, and if we’re going to go there, I really need to see this Weekend Update swap.

It’s been hard to exist as a person on the Internet this week and not feel bombarded by hot takes on Shane Gillis. The popular stand-up’s monologue on SNL, in which he claimed women dress “like whores” when they go to the gym, has become a lightning rod cultural issue that’s been hard to escape. I’ve felt that as just a random person existing in the world. I can’t imagine how it has felt for Gillis himself or those who actually work at SNL. If we can take anything from this Michael Che interview, however, it’s obviously been a week.

The Weekend Update co-host has been making the rounds this week to promote his new comedy special Shot In Minnesota which hit Netflix this week. Not surprisingly, many of the questions have not been about that special but instead about the Shane Gillis situation. Che hilariously addressed his frustration over the questions by dropping an Instagram post thanking Gillis for putting him in the position.

Unfortunately for Che, that just led to another round of questions, specifically on Today, where he was repeatedly asked whether he thought the monologue was funny. The video is going viral for obvious reasons, as it’s extremely clear Che would rather be anywhere else in the world than in that interview answering that question. Watch the clip below…

Whatever Che thought of Gillis’ monologue, it’s very clear he doesn’t feel like he’s the right person to weigh in on whether other comedians have gone too far. His foul-mouthed and extremely mean-spirited joke swaps with his co-anchor Colin Jost have never pulled a punch, and some of his stand-up material is edgy and intentionally pushes boundaries. He told the interviewer that, and after this clip from Today started flying around the Internet, he doubled down in a follow-up post on Instagram. Here’s a portion of his comment…

Some comedians have come out and very directly slammed Gillis’ monologue, but many clearly feel like it’s not in stand-up comedy’s best interest to make broad claims like you shouldn’t use certain words or joke about certain subject matter. Comedy has always been about pushing boundaries and commenting on taboo topics. So, it’s simpler for people to say they didn’t think a joke was funny than to say he shouldn’t have joked about something specific.

Fortunately for Che and everyone else involved, SNL will no doubt make new and louder headlines in the near future. Obsession star Inde Navarrette is hosting on Halloween and Druski is hosting the next week. I’m not sure how hard Navarrette’s episode will go, but Druski has certainly never met a controversy he didn’t run headfirst into. I’m not sure anything he does will produce the same level of intensity as we got from Gillis, but it should produce enough to help SNL move on from the conversation.

If you’ve been on the Internet at all this week, you’ve probably heard about two things in pop culture. 1. Kelly Clarkson got into an incident over a bird named Molly and 2. Shane Gillis had people upset not about his live f-bomb, but because he referred to female gymgoers in neon shorts as “whores” during his viral and controversial SNL monologue. These are the things taking over the national discourse, much to “Weekend Update” host Michael Che’s chagrin.

He’s got his own selfish reasons for calling out Shane Gillis. Unlike Ego Nwodim’s snarky gym fit post or Dan Levy getting really fervent with his monologue feelings, Michael Che’s interest in Gillis’ commentary is purely one of self-interest. The man has a Netflix special out now, and he was set to embark on a press tour for it. Now, he knows all people are gonna care about are his thoughts on Shane’s thoughts.

In a three-post thread to his Instagram, Che got candid about doing press for Michael Che: Shot in Minnesota, which literally hit the 2026 TV schedule just days after Shane Gillis’ viral comments on October 13th. He joked he knows EXACTLY what types of questions he will be getting in the coming days, ending his post with an insincere, “Thanks a lot, Shane.”

He’s definitely got a funny perspective about the whole thing, but I bet this happens to celebrities all the time. They’re minding their own business, getting ready to promote a project they are (hopefully) genuinely excited about, and then, boom, something happens outside their control. That becomes the narrative people want to talk about instead of the actual project. Brutal.

I feel like we saw this recently in a very different context when poor George and Amal Clooney were out doing press and then just got asked about Presley Gerber's death over and over again. The couple are pals with Cindy Crawford and Randy Gerber, and when news broke they’d been supportive, that’s all people wanted to talk to them about. I don’t think that’s a type of personal torture we could probably really understand unless we’d been there, even though I feel like I kind of get it.

Che himself is known for very edgy jokes on “Weekend Update,” most specifically when he and his SNL desk partner do their famous “Joke Swap” segment. I’ve heard Che say some outlandish things, but in his case, the jokes usually land a little better, or at least a little more quietly, than this past weekend’s recent SNL host.

If you are interested in where Shane Gillis was trying to go with his controversial SNL monologue moment, I suggest you watch Tires Season 3, which does basically the same bit, but better. Those episodes are also, like Che’s special, available with a Netflix subscription.

SNL fans are used to Colin Jost being forced to deliver zingers about his wife on Weekend Update. We’ve all seen enough joke swaps to brace for the worst during the recurring segments whenever Scarlett Johansson’s name comes up, but last night, poor Colin ended up eating it again after an exchange with Mr. Wonderful turned into a roast about the monetary dynamic in his relationship.

The bit started as an excuse for James Austin Johnson to do his fantastic impression of Kevin O'Leary/ Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank. In character, he came onto Weekend Update to talk about his plan to build a data center in Utah. When Jost pushed back and said people don’t want to live next to data centers, Mr. Wonderful said it was fine because he himself doesn’t live there. When Jost pushed back again, Mr. Wonderful accused him of being poor, to which Jost replied that he’s not poor because his wife gives him plenty of spending money.

The comment almost seemed to surprise Jost himself and received a huge round of applause from the audience.

I can’t say for sure since there’s no footage from dress rehearsal that’s made its way online, but it almost feels like someone changed the cue card here on Colin Jost. He seemed surprised when he started reading the line and had to fight off laughter as he tried to get through the joke. Then after the applause break, he very clearly said, “That’s not nice.” Maybe he was just playing up the bit for the cameras, or maybe the cue card got changed on him like John Mulaney used to do for the Stefan sketches with Bill Hader back in the day.

Regardless, one of the reasons Jost and his longtime co-anchor Michael Che have had such a great run on Weekend Update is because of their ability to laugh at themselves. Everyone always talks about the Joke Swaps which are obviously the clearest examples of that, but on a week to week basis, they show they’re not above being the targets. Obviously Jost had his moment here and gets it all the time via repeated references to his very famous and very rich significant other, but Che is also willing to play the victim on the regular too. During another bit on last night’s Weekend Update, he used his own picture while talking about Halle Berry needing to find someone to choke.

I have no idea how many more years we’re going to get Che and Jost on Weekend Update. Every summer, there are rumors about the two moving on to other projects, but each time, they wind up coming back, much to the delight of fans. I get it though. They clearly love working together and are having a blast, which is probably why they’re both so willing to take jokes at their own expense.

Ahead of this week’s Saturday Night Live episode, a lot of fans wondered if the show would comment on the Cornell 7. The sketch comedy institution has built its reputation on addressing the social issues everyone is talking about, but given the sensitive and legal nature of the case, which involves allegations of sexual assault and questions about consent, morality, drug use and duty of care, many suspected the writers would avoid the issue altogether. Let the record show they did not. Michael Che addressed the case and used it as an opportunity to dunk on Colin Jost and his Ivy League education.

The joke in question happened during Weekend Update. Che referenced the case and said it’s time for men to start holding other men accountable. He said we all know of friends who seem like a nice guy but definitely are not. As he was talking, however, the camera kept cutting to Jost, making it seem like his co-anchor was actually the person he was talking about. That became especially clear when he brought up “weird privileged Ivy League types,” as Jost graduated from Harvard.

Some of the funniest jokes play very differently based on whether you’re reading them or seeing the actual footage, and this joke is a great example of that. I love that if you weren’t watching the actual show, you would have no idea Che was actually dunking on his co-anchor (which he does a lot). You would think he was just offering commentary on the Cornell 7 case and taking some shots at kids at elite universities.

You can watch the actual footage from Weekend Update below, which starts at the 3:40 mark.

You never quite know how SNL is going to handle social issues, divisive legal cases and even politics. There are times in which the show tries to offer really daring commentary. There are times it takes the easy joke everyone else is making, and there are times like this in which it talks about the controversy but does so in a way that moves the target onto someone else entirely. It’s never a one size fits all solution.

Regardless, last night’s Saturday Night Live had a lot to offer outside Weekend Update. Friend of the show Dakota Johnson hosted for the third time and brought Taylor Swift alongside her for a fun cameo during her monologue. She also delivered some really fun and out there sketches including one where she played a really mean girlfriend and another where she played a doctor encouraging a woman not to sing to a family member in a coma because it wasn’t going to help. I’d definitely encourage you to check out the full episode.

The show will return next week with host Shane Gillis before taking a break for a few weeks and returning on Halloween.

A new season of Saturday Night Live is upon us, which means along with celebrity appearances from host Jalen Brunson and his New York Knicks teammates, we’re in for more of Colin Jost and Michael Che trolling each other on “Weekend Update.” Apparently that’s not the only place we can see their fun rivalry, though, as Che appears to take some shots at the Harvard grad in his upcoming Netflix comedy special Shot in Minnesota. And of course Scarlett Johansson is involved.

Colin Jost’s marriage to Scarlett Johansson is something that tends to come up on the job, whether he’s answering audience questions on Pop Culture Jeopardy! about how to pronounce his wife’s name or delivering jokes at her expense during his and Michael Che’s famous joke swaps. It happens again in the trailer for Che’s upcoming standup special (shown above), in which the comedian discusses the celebrity couple, saying:

OK, already I can tell I’ll be firing up my Netflix subscription when Shot in Minnesota drops October 13. Nothing at all against Colin Jost, but the well is deep when it comes to jokes about Scarlett Johansson being out of his league. Che’s set continues:

I mean, he’s got a good point, because I’d imagine a lot of women would be intimidated by the idea of going on a double date with Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost — at their house, no less.

At least this joke from Michael Che was complimentary to the actress. Scarlett Johansson has taken some brutal shots over the years at the hands of the "Weekend Update" anchor (though the joke that hit Colin Jost the hardest had nothing to do with his wife).

The MCU star admits that she has “blacked out” during some of the joke swaps, but she definitely retains enough that Michael Che might want to sleep with one eye open. Scarlett Johansson has already said that retaliation “should be expected,” after she was made to watch a particularly “vulgar” joke swap live on camera.

My money’s on Scarlett Johansson to get the last laugh, but in the meantime, she and Colin Jost appear to be at the mercy of Michael Che, at least for the duration of his comedy special.

Be sure to catch Shot in Minnesota when it hits the Netflix schedule on Tuesday, October 13, and you can catch more jokes between the “Weekend Update” anchors when Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30 p.m. ET Saturdays on NBC and streaming with a Peacock subscription.

The joke swap between Saturday Night Live Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che has become one of the most anticipated parts of the show, and we thought we’d seen in the SNL Season 51 finale just how far Che was willing to go. Maybe not, though, because Che paid tribute to Jost on his birthday with a message that may not have been a blind joke swap, but was still trolling of the highest order.

Colin Jost celebrated his 44th birthday on June 29, but just because it was his big day doesn’t mean he was safe from the shots being fired by his Weekend Update partner. Che posted a series of photos and videos to Instagram, along with a couple of frames of text that read:

Undoubtedly, the funniest part of this lengthy message is the fact that Michael Che included receipts for these memories (both real and photoshopped), including an image of the two of them in the ring at WrestleMania 35, a selfie driving past a Whites Drug & Department Store, a doctored image of their 2018 Variety cover, handwritten notes from Harry Styles and more.

Che’s post continued:

Yeah, you have to give Michael Che credit for putting this one together, and then remembering to name some of the best former Weekend Update anchors like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Norm Macdonald, Kevin Nealon, Jane Curtain and others. I definitely think Jost and Che's names deserve to be on the list of greats.

Perhaps the best birthday gift Colin Jost could have gotten from his colleague is that his wife Scarlett Johansson escaped the tribute mostly unscathed. That definitely hasn't always been the case, as Jost has been made to read jokes about the Black Widow star — sometimes even in front of her — during their joke swaps.

The Weekend Update joke swap has a great origin story, and it’s something that Colin Jost and Michael Che reserve typically for their Christmas show and each season finale. During their SNL segment, they write jokes for each other that they don't see until they read them live on-air.

I love that Michael Che didn’t wait for Saturday Night Live to return to the 2026 TV schedule before we got more trolling between the Weekend Update anchors, and it really just makes me more excited for Season 52. While we wait for that, you can catch past SNL episodes on streaming with your Peacock subscription.

Throughout Saturday Night Live’s 51-season run, the sketch series has done quite a few memorable recurring bits. Whether it’s returning characters and/or returning sketches, some of them just never get old. What has perhaps turned into one of the best traditions on SNL is the annual joke swap on Weekend Update, which is headlined by Colin Jost and Michael Che. And, now, I've just learned how it all started.

Longtime Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che began the fan-favorite Joke Swap segment during Season 44 back in 2018. Since then, they have done it for almost every Christmas show and season finale. The segment sees the pair give each other jokes that the other has not seen, and the results are usually both hilarious and cringey in the best way. Che recently appeared on Mike Birbiglia’s An Amateur Therapy Session and revealed that this tradition began with jokes that would bomb during dress rehearsals:

Dress rehearsal is very important, because it’s then that the final decisions on what’s cut and what gets moved around are made. Based on Che's comments, it sounds like some jokes just did not land for him and Jost during that time. Nevertheless, the two found a way to turn lemons into lemonade, and that apparently went down when some famous SNL alums came to host:

The rest, as they say, is TV history. Honestly, now, it's hard to remember a time without Joke Swap. While it sucks that some jokes that went well during the table read completely bombed at dress rehearsal, I am so happy Che and Jost had the idea recycle them for what's become an excellent segment. Che went on to explain how all of that solidified the actual Joke Swap idea for the show and he shed some light on one of the reasons why he finds it tricky to write quips for it:

Of course, one of the best parts about the Joke Swap is seeing how far Che and Jost will go, and it’s usually been Jost that gets the short end of the stick with jokes about race or his wife, Scarlett Johansson, while Che hilariously acts as shocked. Still, Jost has been turning up the heat lately, and he even had Johansson on Weekend Update to roast Che when she hosted the Season 50 finale. All in all, I never know what to expect with the Joke Swap, and that’s what makes it fun.

When Jost and Che eventually leave Saturday Night Live, it’s going to be weird not having the Joke Swap on Weekend Update. It’s always possible the next anchors at the desk might continue the tradition, but it's hard for me to see anyone doing it better than them. As of now, there isn’t any word of either of them departing ahead of Season 52, so hopefully we won’t have to say goodbye to them and Joke Swap just yet.

The 52nd season of SNL is set to premiere sometime this fall amid the 2026 TV schedule. In the meantime, all seasons are available to stream with a Peacock subscription.

If you've caught even a single episode of Saturday Night Live on the 2026 TV schedule, you know Sarah Sherman has turned roasting Colin Jost into one of her signature moves. But even she recently learned that one joke about the Weekend Update anchor had to go. The reason had less to do with the insult being too harsh and more to do with Michael Che already having a bigger prank loaded in the chamber.

During an appearance on The Zack Sang Show, Sherman talked about how her Weekend Update segments with Jost come together, with the show’s TikTok account later posting a clip from the conversation. She explained that, despite how brutal the jokes can sound on air, Jost is not walking into the segment blind. He sees the material during the usual SNL process and helps make it work before the live broadcast. She said:

The comedy performer's Update appearances often make it look like she has wandered over from another sketch just to emotionally vandalize Jost’s desk. In reality, he is part of the bit, which is why the jokes can get so nasty without seeming genuinely mean. Their whole rhythm depends on Jost trying to keep a straight face while Sherman turns him into a human piñata wearing a suit.

Still, one recent joke had to be removed, and the comic said the request came from one of the Update writers. The bit involved Sherman making fun of her own mullet before Jost told her she looked better in a wig. She said:

The SNL scene-stealer was confused by that note because, by her own measure, she had said far worse things to Jost on the air. As she put it:

That “whole bit” was part of the latest Jost and Che joke swap, the recurring Weekend Update tradition where the anchors write brutal jokes for each other to read cold on air. In the Season 51 finale version, Che pushed the prank further by bringing out a barber and setting up a fake haircut for Jost. The bit stopped before Jost actually lost his hair, but he later appeared during the goodnights with a bald cap, which NBC’s own recap described as part of the night’s jaw-dropping joke swap.

So Sarah Sherman’s joke was not too mean. It was just wandering into the same haircut-shaped lane as Che’s bigger stunt. In a way, that is even funnier. On SNL, apparently, you can accuse Colin Jost of almost anything, but you cannot step on the hair joke if Che already called dibs.

Michael Che and Colin Jost are used to roasting each other on the air at this point. Their semi-annual joke swaps are about as vicious as you can get on network television. No family members, eccentricity or social taboo has been off-limits over the years. If you ask Che, it’s all been on the right side of the line, but upon further review, he did admit one prank he pulled on Jost was “really mean.”

The conversation in question happened during an appearance on Working It Out with comedian Mike Birbiglia. Che was first asked about the joke swaps and whether there was ever a joke or a moment he felt went too far or that he pulled back on. He said no but said the writers did ask him to pull back on a bit he did for April Fools’ Day. As a prank, he told the studio audience not to laugh at anything Jost said during Weekend Update. His original plan was to just let it go on the entire segment, but other people “negotiated” with him to tell his co-anchor what was going on after a few jokes.

If Che had followed his original plan, Jost would have been spinning for several more jokes, but instead, he let him off the hook after just a few minutes. Initially, he thought that would lessen the impact of the prank. Maybe it did, but in retrospect, he was happy it didn’t go on any longer. He told Birbiglia he was ultimately glad they didn’t take it any further because it was “really mean.”

If you’ve never seen the bit before, I cannot recommend watching it enough. You can tell the lack of a reaction is messing with Colin’s head during the first few jokes, and it almost throws off his timing as he’s figuring out what’s going on. He’s a professional and works through it, but it’s also obvious he’s down bad. You can watch the prank below…

Perhaps the funniest part of this conversation is what wasn’t discussed. Che and Jost have forced each other to say and do some outrageous things during their decade long tenures on Weekend Update. Jost has been forced to read absolutely vile comments about his wife Scarlett Johansson directly to her face. Che has been forced to roast himself about his dating habits and say outrageous things about race. None of that was too far, but interfering with a comedian’s laughs is considered psychologically damaging.

We still don’t know for sure if Jost and Che will be back for Season 52 of Saturday Night Live. There are rumors about the two every summer, but fans are cautiously optimistic they will return. Che seems to still be enjoying his place on Weekend Update (even if he says otherwise), and Jost has started appearing in a ton of regular sketches. The fanbase clearly wants them back, and in a perfect world, wants to see a few more of these epic pranks.

It feels like every year, there are reports and questions about Michael Che’s future on Saturday Night Live. While he and Colin Jost have said it’d be hard to say goodbye to SNL, Che also joked that he personally says he’s going to leave every year. So, it’s hard to get a read on if he’ll come back season after season. But he always returns. Why does this keep happening? Well, the long-time Weekend Update host explained his reasoning.

Thankfully, Mike Birbiglia also had this question, asking Che why there are always headlines about him not coming back for another season. Without hesitation, the comedian explained on the Working It Out podcast:

He went on to say that he thinks the outlets are getting this information directly from the source himself. However, the thing is, Che never leaves. In fact, he’s been on Saturday Night Live for 13 seasons as a full-time cast member. To put that in perspective, while Colin Jost is the longest-running Weekend Update host, Che is not that far behind him, with well over a decade behind the desk.

With that in mind, Birbiglia asked, “what the psychology” is behind the comedian saying he’s not going to return every year. In response, Michael Che started talking about his mother on Thanksgiving:

Now, you might be wondering how this anecdote ties back to SNL; trust me, I was too. Don’t worry, Che brought it all back around to his work on the show, saying:

He then joked that he needs people to “fight” for him to stay, which got Birbiglia laughing. After that, Che got real again about why he goes through this rollercoaster every year. Part of it comes down to just how exhausting and hard it is to work at Saturday Night Live, as he said:

He went on to reiterate how difficult the show is, saying it’s more “draining” than any standup he’s ever done. So, by the time they reach the end of a season, like they just did on the 2026 TV schedule, Che is left thinking:

However, despite SNL being rough at times and really hard work, it’s great work. And during the summer, after a much-needed break, Che is usually reminded of all that, as he said:

He also said it’s exciting to welcome new cast members and hosts, and all that hype makes him want to return.

So, in short, it’s all a cycle. Now, we’re at the end of one, and I’ll be curious to see if Michael Che decides to stay or say goodbye. My guess is he’ll stick around for Season 52. However, SNL saw a big cast shakeup for Season 51, so anything can happen. However, I will say, if you see Michael Che say he’s going to leave, maybe take it with a grain of salt until the official cast list comes out.

Colin Jost and Michael Che have forced each other to say and do a lot of crazy things during their semi-annual joke swap segments on SNL, but the two somehow found a way to out-crazy themselves during the season finale by bringing a barber on stage. Che put a stop to the bit before Jost’s head actually got shaved, but everyone left with the impression that Colin was about to actually get rid of his mane. It turns out that’s because he was.

The longtime Weekend Update co-anchor stopped by The Today Show this morning for a chat with Carson Daly. He was, of course, asked about the incident, and he ran through the panicked thoughts that went through his head. He said he assumed they’d cleared it with his wife Scarlett Johansson, who is very familiar with the joke swaps, and the crew for the project he’s about to shoot and was fully prepared to move forward. In retrospect, he has no idea why he was going to say yes, but he was going to say yes. You can read a portion of his quote below…

This was my initial read while watching the show live too. The goal of the joke swap is you can’t show fear. You have to read whatever is on the cue card Ron Burgundy style, and deep down in your soul, you have to know no one will blame you because the other person is in control of your fate. This whole head shaving thing really pushed the boundaries on that, but with almost no time to actually think about it, I’m not surprised Jost screamed internally but also went with it.

You can see what I mean by revisiting the sketch below...

If nothing else, the incident was a great reminder that Che and Jost are just as exciting as ever. In the past, some Weekend Update anchors and/ or partnerships have gotten a little stale at some point. It’s always important to keep SNL feeling fresh, but more than a decade into their tenures, the two friends are still finding ways to push the boundaries and feel fresh. No announcements have been made about their futures, but I sincerely hope they come back, especially because Jost is really coming into his own on the show.

For most of his tenure, the former head writer was known almost exclusively for Weekend Update and his behind the scenes contributions. This season, however, he’s started appearing in a way higher volume of sketches, sometimes playing Secretary Of War Pete Hegseth and sometimes just playing random characters (like Buzz from Home Alone). It turns out he’s quite good at it. Hopefully he gets a chance to keep nurturing that over the next few years, and hopefully he can do so with his glorious hair fully in tact.

Saturday Night Live’s 51st season ended with the show pulling out the big guns last night. Beloved former cast member and major movie star Will Ferrell hosted. Former Beatle and arguably most accomplished musician alive Paul McCartney was the musical guest, and of course Weekend Update ended with one more joke swap, which has arguably become the entire show’s most popular recurring segment. Last night’s bit was a good reminder why it works so well too, as the madness got so out of control Michael Che had to stop his co-anchor Colin Jost from going too far.

Stopping each other from going too far isn’t typically an act of mercy you see on the joke swaps. Inflicting maximum humiliation is normally the point and is also why both Che and Jost can get away with reading ridiculous jokes they’d normally get cancelled for. We all get the joke is on them for having to say whatever they’re saying out loud. In this case, however, this specific bit had the potential to do more long-term damage, at least to Jost’s glorious hair.

Che had him read a joke about Kanye being right about Hitler, then apologize to everyone and make up for it by cutting off his “award-winning” hair. A barber then came on stage and got ready to shave it all off. Jost seemed ready to reluctantly embrace it before a shocked Che shouted, “no no no” and “you were really going to do it?” You can watch the crazy segment below…

For the record, I think he was absolutely going to do it. My guess is Che thought he was going to back down and thus, effectively lose the joke swap, but in previous versions, he’s been forced to read horrible things about his wife Scarlett Johansson literally in front of her. If he was going to power through that nightmare, I’m pretty sure he was going to get rid of his hair. It’s not like it would take him a full year to grow it back anyway. He’d have a few months of discomfort and be back in business by the start of Season 52.

Besides, it’s not like getting through the rest of the joke swap was a picnic for either of the friends. Che had to read a joke about how being molested by Michael Jackson gave him a fetish for older white women. Jost had to volunteer the use of the ferry boat he co-anchors with Pete Davidson to all Black people for free rides back to Africa. Even by joke swap standards, it was all pretty extreme.

Of course, every time there’s a joke swap now, most fans are quietly wondering if it’ll be the last one. The bit has been an every now and again thing for more than a half decade and always follows the same format. The two write jokes that the other is forced to read live on the air for the first time. Invariably, they include punchlines or are about subject matter that would normally be off limits, and the audience can’t get enough of the cringe factor.

The bits really show off their chemistry and make it pretty obvious why Jost and Che are now the longest serving Weekend Update anchors in SNL’s glorious history. Every summer, there are rumors about one or both of them leaving the show. To be perfectly honest, I thought they were probably done after last year, given it was Season 50 and ended with Johansson hosting the final episode. It felt like a fitting send off.

They ended up returning, and I’m so thankful they did. Not only did the duo have another spectacular season on Weekend Update, Jost really broke out for the first time by appearing in more conventional sketches. His impression of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth became a pretty regular thing, and he even started appearing as unrelated characters in some sketches. He clearly has a talent for it, and if he would like to do more acting than writing in the future, it’s now a lot easier to see a more traditional Hollywood path in his future.

Expect to hear more about Jost and Che’s future, as well as the rest of the cast as no one had an obvious goodbye-to-the-show moment during the season finale last night. Typically we start to hear what’s going on later in the summer. Fingers crossed we have at least a few more joke swaps in our future.

Saturday Night Live is about to wrap up Season 51 on the 2026 TV schedule, and while I think the talented cast deserves a break just as much as any other show, I will miss them these coming months. That's especially true after seeing Michael Che and Colin Jost troll each other on Weekend Update, with the same goofy joke tied to a classic summertime game.

Che and Jost had their usual banter during Weekend Update, but rather than do something like a joke swap, it turned into a somewhat dumb joke that kept getting better as the segment continued. It started when Colin Jost did a joke about Secretary of State Marco Rubio going to visit the pope, the transcript of which could be read below:

• Colin Jost: "This week secretary of state Marco..."
• Michael Che: "RUBIO!"
• Jost: "Marco Rubio traveled to Italy to meet Pope Leo in an attempt to repair U.S. relations after the pope requested anyone but J.D. Vance. During their meeting, Marco...
• Che: "RUBIO!"

For those who don't get it, Che was responding in the same way a person would reply when playing the game "Marco Polo." For the uninitiated (there's gotta be at least one), it's a game of tag in which the person who is "it" has to wander the pool with their eyes closed. To seek out the people in the pool they shout "Marco" to which everyone else playing will yell "Polo" back in response giving them an idea of where to swim.

It was a goofy joke, but I never would've expected it to come back into play later. After a few jokes, Colin Jost got his revenge by cutting into the middle of the intro to one of Michael Che's jokes, to keep the bit going:

• Che: "FBI director Kash..."
• Jost: "PATEL!"

A rarer win for Colin Jost, who I feel like is often willingly the butt of the joke for the sake of comedy. Admittedly, I'm still wondering if the entire bit was something they scripted into this episode, or if it was something they just did on the spot and kept it going.

I'm not sure it matters either way, because they absolutely killed it with the final joke in the sequence. Colin Jost kicked off a joke about Jeffrey Epstein, but Che wasn't about to take the bait:

• Jost: "Jeffrey...[waits]"
• Che: "Even I have limits."

Che likely remembered the backlash Nikki Glaser received after her hosting stint on Saturday Night Live for invoking Epstein's name, and didn't want any part of that. Either that, or it was the ultimate way to end the joke on a high note, and redeem it from how forgettable it might've been had it ended with the first exchange.

Ultimately, it was a great installment of Weekend Update, and one I imagine will be hard to top as we press onward to the upcoming season finale for SNL. Not that it's a rule that the last Weekend Update of the season has to be the best, but you'd think they'd want to go out with the energy we saw in this latest episode:

I like to think Michael Che and Colin Jost were swinging for the fences this week, as rising star cast member Jeremy Culhane also popped up to reprise his role as Tucker Carlson on Weekend Update. "Carlson" sharing his thoughts on the Met Gala was even better than the initial skit in which he dismantled the Oscars.

Overall, it was a strong episode for Matt Damon, who had some memorable sketches that'll stand the test of time. He may only be a three-time host, and The Odyssey is nowhere close to its release date at the time of hosting, but this will be one that people will appreciate when they're hanging out with friends and talking about some of the funnier bits.

As mentioned, Saturday Night Live will close out Season 51 on May 16th with Will Ferrell and Paul McCartney. I'm excited for the season finale and to see if there are still any surprises in store for this closer before the break.

Michael Che is quite popular on SNL these days, but when he first started out, things weren’t nearly as set in stone. In fact, Che really struggled during the early days on the late night NBC series. What I really mean by early days is more like early years, honestly.

In fact, the comedian recalled his early experiences on Saturday Night Live during a recent chat with fellow funnyman Mike Birbiglia. He said he owed a gratitude of debt to his “Weekend Update” co-star Colin Jost for helping him get the gig on the big stage, but his early memories of the show were honestly “terrible.” Yeah, like he literally used the word terrible.

So, why did working on Saturday Night Live suck so much for him early on? Apparently, there were two big reasons.

Reason SNL Stunk #1: Che Inherited Seth Meyers’ Writers

First and foremost, Michael Che was inheriting types of jokes when he started out. There was a weird transition period on the NBC series for a while there. Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler had been the long-standing “Update” hosts, then Seth took the desk by himself, and then for a brief moment Cecily Strong and Seth Meyers took the desk. When Seth left, Colin Jost worked with Strong for a while, but Che was brought in as a replacement.

In short, a lot of change was going on at “Weekend Update” at the time. One constant seems to have been the writing staff, but Che told Mike Birbiglia that didn’t really work for them at first because the writers hadn't been hired specifically for them.

I do get it. Seth Meyers is nothing like Michael Che. His sense of humor is different. He’s got an adorable laugh. He’s funniest on his own late night show when he’s lightheartedly day drinking. Che is also great, but he does not have the same energy as Meyers in the least. People like to describe his comedy as raw, and he and Jost’s most popular “Joke Swap” segment intentionally goes hard in the paint.

Reason SNL Stunk #2: Michael Che Is A Standup Comedian

I did not know the two had inherited Meyers’ writers, but I can see how that might have made things harder early on. However, Che’s second point has to do with standup, and it's something those who have done stand-up will get far more than I do:

What he seems to be talking about is comedic timing, and making sure the wording lands in a way a large swathe of the audience finds funny. Actors read and then figure out how to deliver, but from what he seems to be saying is he needs to do things differently in order to be successful and SNL, and in extension Update, don’t lend themselves to that. He’s not the only stand-up to have that problem, either.

He’s clearly doing something right these days. He and Colin Jost have owned the “Weekend Update” desk since 2014, and it's a well-known fact they are both in high demand elsewhere. There’s no word on whether Colin Jost or Michael Che will be exiting anytime soon, but they have said it’s “hard to imagine.” Season 51 is currently airing on the 2026 TV schedule, and we have a few more upcoming hosts and musical guests before the season wraps, but the end of each season brings some shakeups, so we’ll keep you posted when it comes to Fall TV.

Weekend Update loves few things more than a wacky character brought in to comment on a hot news story. This week we got two kids from the back of the bus talking about inflation, and we got a sex expert discussing young people statistically having less sex than at any point in human history. Not surprisingly, it’s the latter that’s been picking up steam on social media, both because of the subject matter and because comedian Jane Wickline continues to emerge as a unique, Kyle Mooney-type figure with an odd sense of humor.

The Gen Z Sexpert that Wickline played was named Lindt Greer. She was there to talk about why young people aren’t as sexually active as any of the generations that came before, but instead of giving thoughtful and clarifying advice, it quickly becomes obvious she’s also overwhelmed and uncomfortable about sex. She seems to be confused about what it even is and gets basic details wrong like it’s not sex if it doesn’t happen at night. You can watch the madness below…

I love an odd character, and I particularly love a joke that doesn’t go through the front door. Wickline has a deadpan delivery style and an odd pacing to the way she talks that’s extremely unique. She doesn’t use her inflections or mannerisms to explain what part of the joke is supposed to be funny. You’re just either in on the joke or you’re not.

Michael Che serves as a great foil to the character here too. He mostly keeps it together while he’s trying to interact with her, but you can tell he’s on the edge of breaking several times, especially when she asks him if he disagrees with her rules for sex. To be clear, he does not. He just felt they came out of nowhere.

To me, SNL is at its best when it’s a big tent. It shouldn’t be one style of comedy. It should be a true variety show, featuring comedians trying to be funny in a lot of different ways. Wickline is a great embodiment of that. I compared her to Kyle Mooney earlier, but there’s a long history of SNL cast members who are just too far out there for most people. Will Forte is also a great recent example, as well as Tim Robinson and my personal favorite, Norm Macdonald.

SNL is on a little mini-hiatus right now, but it’ll return in early May for the last three episodes of Season 51, all of which have terrific hosts. No announcements have been made about which cast members may or may not be returning (or which showrunner may or may not be returning). Wickline has had an up and down season with some big episodes and some episodes where she’s barely been featured. It seems like she’s picking up some momentum lately though, and I’m pretty confident she’ll be back next season. Fingers crossed it’ll be with even weirder characters.

Michael Che and Colin Jost have been sitting opposite one another on the “Weekend Update” desk for more than a decade now, and have been one of the most memorable presences on SNL during this run. However, I just learned that it would never have happened without a program (then) head writers Jost and Seth Meyers had put together, and a chance encounter in a club in New York.

In fact, Che recently revealed Colin Jost is the entire reason he got a shot on Saturday Night Live. Unlike most cast members, he does not have Lorne Michaels to thank (at least not mostly). He has his “Weekend Update” buddy to thank. The comedian told Mike Birbiglia that he used to frequent bars and clubs like The Knitting Factory to check out comedy. He saw some greats, and made unexpected connections.

It sounds like the start of a joke, but this is literally how Che got hired.

How Colin Jost Hooked Michael Che Up With SNL

So, what happened? Apparently, he and Jost hit it off, and because it was a unique period in Saturday Night Live history where guest writing stints (like guest host stints) were happening, he got a shot. It’s honestly wild to think about landing a gig as prominent as SNL at a comedy show, so, when Che told the story, I wasn’t surprised to hear Mike Birbiglia respond with, “That’s crazy.”

The days are past when front of house names were also the head writers on the show. Seth Meyers has moved on to late night, and Colin Jost has taken a step back to do weird side projects like bits for the Olympics and more. You always hear stories about how back in the day, it was easier to break into things, and I think Che is very much confirming that’s true, here. He also told Birbiglia on his “Working It Out” podcast:

Che stayed on as a writer on SNL during 2013, before getting announced to be joining Jost on the “Weekend Update” desk for Season 40. At this point, he’s now been a part of the 40th and 50th anniversary, though once a year, people want to know if Jost and Che are ready to quit. They’ve said it’s “hard to imagine,” and much like Kenan Thompson, I really hope the time doesn’t come soon. They’re such a perfect fit for as long as they can manage the crazy SNL hours.

I’m not saying the Saturday Night Live crowd likes it when the cast members are mean to each other, but I will say they get a kick out of the stars having a little good-natured fun at each others' expense. It happens now and again in sketches, especially when James Austin Johnson rambles as President Trump, but the most common time it happens is on Weekend Update. The co-anchors occasionally take some shots at the cast members who show up to do bits and vice versa, but more often than not, they take shots at each other.

This week’s SNL attracted a lot of notice thanks to Harry Styles hosting, but it was Weekend Update that had my attention. The segment was another great example of perfectly-timed trolling when Michael Che turned a joke about a “wife-carrying contest” into a joke about a “husband-carrying contest.” I bet you can guess who was the unfortunate recipient of that left hook. Colin Jost. It was obviously Colin Jost. Here’s the text of the joke…

I have no idea if the joke was discussed in advance. Jost and Che are well-known for going off script to take a shot at each other. Sometimes it’s via planned segments like the recurring Joke Swaps and sometimes it’s via a random joke one of them just decided to stick in there to have a little fun at the other’s expense.

Either way, Jost reacted with a positive spirit. Here’s the face he made after the comment…

That’s the face of a man who knows he’s been hit with a good joke. There’s no point arguing or firing back aggressively. Sometimes you just take a sassy comment from one of your friends and there’s nothing else to do but mentally accept you got roasted. You basically have two options. You can file it away for a time in the future in which you can roast that same friend back with an unrelated comment or you can admit you’ve been bested by dunking on yourself a little bit to show you don’t care.

Jost picked the second path, though I assume he also took note and is planning to get Che back in the coming weeks. Here’s a look at his comment…

The line between being mean and taking a humorous shot at a friend is hard to explain, but it’s easy to understand when you see a specific interaction. It has to do with body language and tone and what we perceive as the unsaid sentiment behind the comment. Che and Jost are masters at finding that line. Even when they say the most horrible things about each other (or make each other read the most horrible things about their partners), they always use their faces, body language and word choices to convey there’s a lot of love there.

It’s a dynamic that has served them well for years, and it’s why, despite co-anchoring together since 2014, fans still want to keep seeing them return each year. The dynamic just works and likely will continue to work as long as they stick around. You can see what I mean in the segment below, which includes the joke in question…

No announcements have been made about their futures, but as an SNL superfan, I actually feel better about them coming back than I did last year. Jost has started appearing in sketches outside of Weekend Update on a regular basis, and he looks like he’s having a ton of fun. I’m not sure if his long-term plan is to continue as a writer or an actor or a ferry boat captain, but if he wants to be an actor, he would be well-served by putting in another year or two in front of the camera.

The Jurassic Park/World universe has seen plenty of actors play characters who’ve had dangerous experiences with dinosaurs. Some managed to come out of their respective situations relatively unscathed, while others ended up meeting their demise at the hands of the dinos. Scarlett Johansson’s Zora Bennett survived the events of 2025’s Rebirth, and I’d like to think the actress herself could’ve, too. When it comes to whether her husband, Colin Jost, or his buddy, Michael Che would live, though, Johansson has a very clear answer.

Surviving in a dinosaur-inhabited world is no small feat, and I’m not sure many would be able to handle it. It’s because of Johansson’s physicality and cleverness that I’m tempted to believe the Marvel alum could hold her own against some of the most ferocious prehistoric beasts. When she appeared on The Tonight Show (as shared to YouTube), Johansson played a game in which Jimmy Fallon had her choose between a pair of stars and determine whether they could survive the beasts. When faced with Jost and Che, Johansson said:

So the Phoenician Scheme star attributes her hubby’s survival to the fact that he’s from Staten Island and has the potential to deal with dangerous situations. That’s a fair answer (though I’m not sure I’d advise Colin Jost to use his and Pete Davidson’s Staten Island Ferry to navigate Mosasaurus-infested waters). I’m now wondering whether Jost himself believes he could survive in a place like Île Saint-Hubert. Considering Jost’s self-deprecating nature, I imagine he’d have a funny take.

I suppose this means that – at least in this case – Michael Che would be dinosaur chow. However, Scarlett Johansson also named a few others who would fall prey and meet grisly ends comparable to those who’ve lost their lives in the Jurassic Park saga. When faced with longtime co-stars Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth, Johansson gave the advantage to Aussie Hemsworth. The actress also took (marine-turned-actor) Adam Driver over Bill Murray, Brie Larson over Florence Pugh and Sofia Coppola over Wes Anderson.

Jurassic World/Park has delivered some truly visceral deaths and, while they can be brutal, they certainly add to the spectacle. Scarlett Johansson’s own foray into the franchise also included some bloody kills. For Johansson, joining the film was actually a dream come true, as she was a longtime fan of the franchise and even got to have a full-circle moment with her brother at a premiere. Rebirth also proved to be a box office success, as it grossed over $869 million worldwide against a reported budget between $180 and $225 million.

Another big-screen Jurassic follow-up has yet to be announced, so it’s unclear if Johansson will be reprising her role anytime soon. Should she do it, though, I’d now love to see Colin Jost play a character alongside her. I’d like to think audiences would pay to see the real-life couple trying to evade dinosaurs on the big screen. Alas, that’s just a pipe dream right now, though I’d still love to see Jost play a character who may or may not be able to survive.

See Scarlett Johansson’s Zora tangle with dinos in Jurassic World Rebirth by streaming the movie with a Peacock subscription.

If Michael Che was looking for a way to make Weekend Update’s Christmas Joke Swap even more uncomfortable than usual, he certainly found it this year thanks to an all-time swerve. Apparently he told co-anchor Colin Jost that he didn’t want to do the Joke Swap this year. Then, live on the air, he surprised him by saying they were doing Joke Swap segment anyway.

A visibility confused and blindsided Jost said he hadn’t prepared any jokes, and Che, smirking like a kid that just got one over his parents, told him he’d just have to read the jokes he prepared. Jost played along and read the off-color jokes that touched on race, sex abuse and his wife Scarlett Johansson getting old. He clearly wasn’t a happy camper about it though. You can watch the bit in its entirety below…

The Joke Swap is, of course, the most popular recurring segment on Weekend Update. The long-time anchors typically force each other to read absolutely vile jokes the other has never seen before during the Christmas episode, as well as the final episode of the season. Typically Che is a little more vicious with what he makes Jost do, but after this one-sided dunking, you know Jost is going to be coming for the throat later this season. I’d imagine he’ll get his revenge during the final episode of the season, but it’s certainly possible he works with the writers and crew to throw up some middle fingers sooner than that.

The best thing about Jost and Che, who have been together behind the Weekend Update desk longer than any other duo in the show’s long history, is they quite obviously have a ton of natural affection and chemistry together. That manifests itself in them being able to take shots at each other and eliciting reactions that feel like brothers rather than co-workers.

That’s why these Joke Swaps always feel on the ride side of the line, even though, objectively, they’re saying horrifying things. They’re quite clearly trying to punish each other, not whatever racial group or gender or subject matter they’re hammering.

It’s unclear how many more Joke Swaps we’re going to get. I would certainly imagine we’re going to get one during the last episode of the season after this chicanery, but beyond that, it’s an open question mark. Rumors swirled that the duo might finally leave Saturday Night Live over the summer. They both wound up coming back, but it’s entirely possible we won’t get so lucky this coming summer, given how many other opportunities they get. We’ll just have to wait and see.

SNL will be off the next several weeks for the Christmas holiday, but it’ll return in the new year with exciting new hosts and the same Weekend Update greatness we’ve come to expect.

There is no current Weekend Update segment that gets more buzz than the Joke Swap. The vicious twice yearly segment in which Michael Che and Colin Jost write hidden jokes for the other to read live on the air typically breaks out in a big mainstream way. If tradition holds, we’ll get another one on next week’s episode of SNL, and thanks to a single look Che gave Jost during this week’s Update, fans are bracing for it to be particularly vicious.

Last night’s Weekend Update segment started out harmless enough with the usual stream of Trump jokes and random musings about current events, but it took a bit of an unexpected detour when Jost hit Che with a joke about how the movie with the least Golden Globe nominations was his Hold Up, Madea Got A Daughter?! You can watch the moment in question below…

The anchors, of course, regularly take shots at one another. On paper, this one definitely isn’t over the line compared to their usual banter, but fans felt like they saw a little glimmer in Che’s eye. They felt like they saw his mind turning in a way that said, “I’m gonna tag you back during the joke swap next week.” I saw the same thing. Look at this sideeye…

It’s unclear if Jost blindsided Che by secretly creating that graphic and replacing whatever the written joke was that he was expecting or if he was just playfully acting like he was mad. Fans certainly think it was the former, as the top comment underneath the video on YouTube is someone saying you can tell Che is making a mental note to be “extra savage” during the upcoming joke swap.

The joke swap, of course, forces each anchor to read jokes written by the other that they’ve never seen before. More often than not, that means Jost is forced to read a lot of risky racial jokes that are the type of thing that could get a man cancelled, as well as risky jokes about his wife Scarlett Johansson that are the type of thing that could get a man divorced. Che, conversely, tends to get a lot of jokes that make fun of his colorful dating history, as well as jokes about really contentious religious and world politics issues that people typically want no part of commenting on.

The show hasn’t announced the joke swap is coming, but we typically get it on the last episode of the year and the last episode of the season. The former is coming up next week, as SNL returns with its annual pre-Christmas episode this coming Saturday night with host Ariana Grande. Given the popularity of Wicked, it should be one of the more popular episodes of the season, but I guess for the purposes of the joke swap, it really doesn’t matter. History would say it’ll be one of the most shared videos on social media and one of the most watched videos on YouTube of the season.

I have no idea how many more joke swaps we’re going to get from Che and Jost. There should be another one to end the season, but beyond that, it’s an open question. Rumors swirled at the end of last year and into the summer that the longest tenured Weekend Update hosts in the history of the show might finally be leaving. They ultimately came back and have said nothing about the future. Personally, I’d love to see them just keep coming back, but at this point, nothing is promised and we need to appreciate every last jab the two are able to land on each other.

I’ve been covering TV for long enough to know the talk of the town each summer, at least in regards to Saturday Night Live, is always about who is coming and going. Each year, newbies and longtime cast members alike tend to exit, and when Season 50 aired on NBC last season, the cast was literally stacked (as was the "terrible" audience). So, it came as no surprise when a slew of longtime names were bandied about as possibly exiting ahead of Season 51, including notable names like Bowen Yang, Michael Che and Colin Jost.

Now, if you’ve been watching the lovely guest hosts pop into Season 51, you should already know these rumors were much ado about nothing. Yang, Che and Jost are all back on the 2025 TV schedule, even amidst a slew of other gigs, like Yang promoting Wicked: For Good as part of the cast. However, the longtime comedians on the show are asked about leaving a lot, and Che and Jost have spoken about potential exits in the past.

Speaking to Howard Stern, Che and Jost got candid about “wanting to leave” the late night sketch series. Che told the shock jock it was mostly because he misses “stand-up.” Jost also appeared during the same episode, and countered what Che was saying a bit, noting his fellow “Weekend Update” co-host does find their 30 Rock work “rewarding.”

So, it's clear they occasionally think of leaving, but will Season 51 be the last?

One Big Reason Considering Leaving SNL Is Hard For Che (And Jost)

As longtime cast members, SNL isn't just a blip in the two mens' careers. Che noted he and Jost have been in the position for so long now, “it’s hard to imagine” what would come next.

For reference, Michael Che joined SNL in 2014 after hopping from The Daily Show specifically to take over the “Weekend Update” desk. Jost has been there significantly longer, joining the NBC series as a writer all the way back in 2005. He received more prominent billing when he sat down at the anchor desk with Che, however. They’ve been at the newsy gig for more than a decade now, which is crazy to think about, and it’s apparently colored their ability to consider doing much else.

It probably doesn’t help there’s so much pressure on the show to deal with all the time. Both men spoke with Stern about trying to “enjoy” their time on set that “year,” despite it often being stressful. At the time, this made it sound at the time like they might have been heading into their last season.

However, whenever this fall’s cast was announced, while the likes of Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim exited, Che and Jost were still behind the desk. Other OG’s like Bowen Yang have said they have “more to do” at SNL. All of this meant the changeover between Season 50 and 51 wasn’t as intense as expected, even with some notable departures.

Now, come Season 52? We’ll have to wait and see. Saturday Night Live is currently on a brief hiatus, but will be back on December 6th; I'd recommend keeping an eye on Saturday Night Live's new breakouts, and not just OGs like Che and Jost.

Saturday Night Live has been going strong for more than half a century now, with creator Lorne Michaels still heavily involved in bringing the sketch comedy to late night each week in the 2025 TV schedule. While that presumably won’t change as this year winds down towards the 2026 TV schedule, a former SNL intern went off on the atmosphere allegedly created by Lorne Michaels behind the scenes. Weekend Update co-host Michael Che, who has been working on the show going back to 2013, clapped back… a couple of months later.

It’s no secret that producing SNL week in and week out is a stressful endeavor, so when a former Saturday Night Live intern comes forward to talk about that element of working on the show, it’s not particularly surprising. The way in which this former intern, named Megan McDermott, did it is more unexpected, and perhaps the reason why Michael Che felt the need to respond two months after she originally posted her three-minute video on Instagram.

Identifying herself as somebody who “interned at SNL my senior year of college and I have a degree in comedy writing from NYU’s film school,” McDermott posted a video addressing the sketch comedy’s cast turnover, which was significant over the summer with a number of exits, including longtime favorites Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim. She made this claim about why there’s pretty frequent turnover, saying:

She went on to make claims about how the atmosphere behind the scenes created by Lorne Michaels at SNL negatively affects the cast members due to “processes… that have been in place since the ‘70s.” She said:

While nobody outside of SNL can definitively confirm or deny her claims, McDermott is correct that former and current members of the SNL team have spoken about the stress of the job. Andy Samberg addressed the toll that it takes on cast members, and even feeling that intensity again when returning as a guest. Kenan Thompson opened up about his “very surreal and very stressful” audition (which led to him becoming the longest-running cast member in the story of the show).

Conan O’Brien, who worked at SNL as a writer years before becoming a successful late night host, shared that he felt like “there was a gun against my head all the time,” but credited Adam Sandler with lightening things up. Former writer and occasional host John Mulaney acknowledged the show’s "high-stakes and stressful” reputation, but also shared that it’s “also the most protected environment in entertainment” since they “don’t get notes."

But Michael Che, a current writer/cast member who has been part of SNL since 2013 and co-hosting Weekend Update with Colin Jost since 2014, roasted Megan McDermott’s claims more than two months after she originally posted the video. In the comment section, he wrote:

This led to a minor scuffle in the comments, with McDermott responding that “it’s incredible what people will reveal in front of you when they treat you like you’re invisible,” while Che said that her claims “don’t sound bitter at all,” wrote “yap yap yap,” and followed up one of her pretty lengthy answers with to “check my word count. Then check yours.”

The rest of the comment section seemed pretty divided about what she claimed in her video. Take a look for yourself:

If you want to check out the current Season 51 cast in action, you can find new episodes of Saturday Night Live on – when else? – Saturdays at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC, or streaming next day with a Peacock subscription.

Anytime a former Weekend Update anchor hosts Saturday Night Live, there’s an anticipation that they might bust out their church clothes and make an appearance behind the desk to read a few jokes. As such, it wasn’t a surprise to see Amy Poehler join Colin Jost and Michael Che this week, but it certainly was a surprise to see multiple other ex-Weekend Update anchors join her for a joke-off.

That’s right. This week featured a good old fashioned joke off between Jost, Che, Poehler and special guests Tina Fey and Seth Meyers. Both Fey and Meyers, of course, were co-anchors alongside Poehler at various points during her tenure; so, the cameos made a lot of sense, even if they were unexpected.

The joke-off set-up was a woman in Tennessee breaking a hospital record by having a thirteen pound baby, and to the surprise of no one, her massive kid proved to be good subject matter for a lot of rapid fire jokes. You watch all the current and former anchors in action below…

Together, these five all place in the top six of total episodes anchoring or co-anchoring Weekend Update. Jost is first with 226 episodes, followed by Che with 219 episodes, followed by Meyers with 154 episodes, followed by Fey with 118 episodes, followed by Poehler with 80 episodes. Only Dennis Miller slots into the above with 111 episodes, though I suppose we should give Jimmy Fallon a shout-out, as well, as he’s tied with Poehler’s 80 episodes.

In addition to being a bit of good fun, this Weekend Update segment is also a good reminder of how similar, yet different the segment can be under different anchors. The basic conceit of reading news stories like a traditional anchor and telling jokes about them has never changed since Chevy Chase launched the segment back in the 1970s, but the tone, subject matter and delivery can change quite a bit with the sensibilities of each anchor.

This current version of Weekend Update has represented the longest period of stability in the long-running segment’s history. Jost and Che have shared the duties for more than ten consecutive seasons, which has never happened before. Exactly how much longer that stability will last, however, is an open question. Rumors swirled near the end of last season that Jost might walk away over the summer, and there were similar whispers about Che, as well. The two are no longer head writers on the show, and with plenty of opportunities for each outside SNL, many fans thought they’d walk away.

Fortunately, they did not. They’re back for another season. At some point soon-ish, however, they’ll exit Studio 8H, and it’ll be fascinating to see whether showrunner Lorne Michaels and company pick someone currently on the cast or bring in someone new. Either way, they’ll evolve the segment to their own tastes, and we’ll get a new and exciting take on the old classic to watch.

The rest of Poehler’s episode was, of course, great. There was even an A+ spoof for a Hunting Wives Season 2 trailer, which featured a cameo from Aubrey Plaza. I’d highly recommend throwing the whole thing up on Peacock or via your DVR and giving it a watch. The show will return next week with an all new episode featuring upcoming guest host Sabrina Carpenter, who, more than likely, will not read the news on Weekend Update.

A new documentary, In Whose Name?, hit the 2025 movie calendar this weekend, which covers six years of Kanye West’s life. The film doesn’t shy away from the rapper’s controversies, including his impromptu Saturday Night Live rant — one of SNL’s most infamous moments — during which he wore a red MAGA cap. Behind-the-scenes footage shows Michael Che confronting Ye afterward, as well as an explosive argument between Kris Jenner and her then-son-in-law regarding his mental health.

Michael Che Confronted Ye After He Went Rogue On SNL In 2018

On September 29, 2018, Kanye West went on a rant after his final musical performance on that night’s Saturday Night Live taping. Kenan Thompson and Ego Nwodim have shared their recollection of Ye’s diatribe, and Chris Redd — who has been known to impersonate the rapper — said he thought it was “disrespectful.” Now, footage from In Whose Name? shows that Michael Che also took issue with his friend, as he approached West backstage and said (via EW):

They went on to discuss Kanye West’s comments about having a Black comedian make jokes about Black subject matter like Bill Cosby. While Ye said he was referring to SNL comedian Leslie Jones, Michael Che pointed out that he was the one who made the joke about Cosby, asking Ye, “Why would you do that to me?” Their conversation continued:

• Ye: Aw, man, I love you though, bro.
• Che: I love you, too. I'm a fan. But why would you do that to me? I work here! I work here! Come on, man. … We treat everybody that come in like family, and you're gonna sell us out? That's fucked up, man! We look up to you, we love you. What you got against us?
• Ye: I mean, I do have things against SNL in general.
• Che: That's cool, but airing it out like that without letting us be able to reply is kinda foul.
• Ye: Yeah, you right about that.
• Che: You wait til the last song and then say that foul shit to us, and we brought you in here.

Tensions may have been high that night, but it apparently wasn’t the end of their friendship, as Kanye West and Michael Che were seen out with other cast members in New York ahead of Kim Kardashian’s own SNL appearance in 2021. However, Che seemed to side with colleague Pete Davidson when West declared “civil war” on his estranged wife’s new boyfriend, joking about Ye’s offer to double Che’s salary to get him away from Davidson.

Speaking of The Kardashians stars, In Whose Name? also featured a heated scene between Kanye West and Kim’s mom, Kris Jenner.

Kanye West Argued With Kris Jenner Over His Mental Health

In an argument that also allegedly took place in 2018, Kanye West tells his mother-in-law that he’d “rather be dead than to be on medication” and says (via E! News):

Kris Jenner tells him “it doesn’t matter” what people say, but Ye cuts her off and screams, “It does matter!” several times before grabbing his things to leave the room. The momager continued:

Kim Kardashian’s mom appeared to be trying to hold back tears as their conversation continued:

• Ye: So, what do you think? Did you have an effect on my mental health?
• Jenner: Yes! I'm saying yes. and I love you. I love you. I don't want you to be not perfect. I love you, and I want my daughter to love you the way you want her to love you.

Kim Kardashian filed for divorce early in 2021, and the terms of their split were finalized the following November.

The documentary features more than the arguments Kanye West has been involved in. One scene shows him and Elon Musk opening up about what happened with Kim Kardashian and Grimes, respectively. In Whose Name? is in theaters now.

Saturday Night Live is coming off its milestone 50^th anniversary season, and it took home several awards at the 2025 Emmys, including Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for SNL50: The Anniversary Special during the main show over the weekend. To celebrate, longtime Weekend Update anchor Michael Che had a flipping funny response to the haters after the win, and it’s just the right thing to kick off the weekend.

Of course, not everyone is going to be happy with Emmy wins, as some people were definitely snubbed, but these shows, actors, producers, writers, and directors won for a reason. This includes Che, who, as part of the producing and writing team for SNL50, came out on top. He took to his Instagram to address the hate in his DMs and wanted to make it clear that winning “one stupid trophy” isn’t enough to change him or make him forget where he came. That is, unless he had more than one, which is exactly what he hilariously pointed out:

Che personally won two of the Emmys for SNL50, as he’s part of the producing team and won for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) and part of the writing team, winning for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. He’s been nominated for 11 Emmys over the years for his work on SNL, but these two Emmys mark his first time winning, so it makes sense that Che wanted to address the haters and prove once and for all that winning won’t go to his head. But that might be different since he has two trophies instead of one.

The Emmy wins come after it was confirmed that Che and Colin Jost will still be part of the cast for Season 51 and returning as Weekend Update anchors. They continue their tenures as the longest-running Update anchors on SNL. And when it came to SNL50, Weekend Update certainly put into perspective how many anchors there have been as former anchors Seth Meyers and Bill Murray came back to the desk. It seems like Che is milking his time at SNL for all it’s worth, and I can’t say I blame him.

Meanwhile, SNL’s 51^st season has announced hosts and musical guests for the first three episodes, with Bad Bunny kicking things off as host on October 4, while Doja Cat will be the musical guest. The series will be celebrating its actual 50^th anniversary the following week with SNL alum Amy Poehler hosting and Role Model as the musical guest. Sabrina Carpenter is pulling double duty on October 18 as host and musical guest, so that should be as entertaining as ever.

It will also be entertaining to see if Che brings up the Emmy wins during the season premiere, but you never know what could happen during Weekend Update. At the very least, he finally won after being nominated 11 times, and it’s clear that it’s not going to his head. Or is it?

Saturday Night Live’s Season 51 cast will include some fresh faces but, luckily, Weekend Update is staying the same. Despite rumors that longtime anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che would be among those leaving SNL amid changes to Update, they are both sticking around for at least one more year, meaning another season of roasts, jokes and the fan-favorite Joke Swap. The show's team seems to likes working with the pair, yet one writer admitted the hardest part of working with them, which is honestly hilarious.

Jost and Che have been the Weekend Update co-anchors since Season 40 and are the longest-tenured stars in their positions. Past cast members like Norm Macdonald, Tina Fey and Seth Meyers were praised for anchoring the satirical news segment, Jost and Che have certainly put their own flavor on it, and it helps that they work so well together. Which is why after being asked whether Che or Jost is more challenging to work with, staff writer KC Shornima shared on Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out podcast that her job is both chill and kind of stressful, in a funny way:

I'm chuckling just imagining Jost and Che just running around 30 Rock, trying to complete tasks, while Shornima and other writers are trying to get a hold of them. Of course, staff writers have deadlines, and it's easy to think that it might be difficult to hit such cutoff points when you can't get a hold of two of SNL's top stars. However, Shornima doesn’t seem to mind too much and just expects it from the Weekend Update stars at this point, which honestly makes this even more hilarious.

That being said, aside from trying to find Jost and Che, KC Shornima says she has “such a chill job,” explaining that she submits jokes anonymously, and the quips told on Update are just from a compiled sheet. Shornima shared that their week mostly consists of writing and submitting 20 to 30 jokes and then going over and picking the final jokes with Jost and Che that Friday which she says is “stressful."

From there, the group compiles them on Saturday before the show and writes more if need be. Even with the stress, Shornima couldn’t say enough good things about writing for Weekend Update, which she dubbed the best part of SNL:

With Colin Jost and Michael Che returning as Weekend Update anchors, I'm curious about what out-of-pocket jokes might be told this season and how much (unintended) stress they’ll put on the writing team. Series alums have surely talked about how frantic the show can be, but I love hearing KC Shornima's lighthearted and funny take on the chaos.

Saturday Night Live will soon be back, so fans won’t have to wait too long for more Weekend Update. Season 51 premieres on October 4 at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC amid the 2025 TV schedule, and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

With Saturday Night Live’s return just weeks away on the 2025 TV schedule, the buzz around the new season is only getting louder. While fans are keeping an eye on the upcoming SNL hosts and musical guests, the bigger mystery right now may be what’s happening behind the scenes as the show just confirmed its first official cast cut, with Devon Walker announcing his exit after three seasons. But cast turnover might not be the only shake-up on the way. A new rumor suggests even the iconic Weekend Update desk could look different when Season 51 premieres.

According to a report from Late Nighter, the long-running comedy institution has already screen-tested at least one new anchor pairing. Though Colin Jost and Michael Che remain unconfirmed for Season 51, the fact that producers are looking at alternatives points to the possibility of change. Michaels himself teased a shake-up was coming and that decisions would be finalized soon, telling Matt Belloni that an announcement could be coming “in a week or so.” And since Jost and Che aren't head writers anymore, it seems possible they might want to focus on other opportunities.

For nearly a decade, Jost and Che have held down Update, becoming the longest-running duo in the show’s history. Their dynamic, Jost’s straight-man delivery against Che’s biting, often trolling punchlines, has become a defining feature of modern SNL. Still, turnover at Update is nothing new. From Chevy Chase and Norm Macdonald to Tina Fey and Seth Meyers, the desk has evolved with the show’s eras, and Season 51 might be the next turning point.

An inside source told Late Nighter that Michael Longfellow and SNL writer KC Shornima taped auditions. Whether their chemistry at the desk impressed Michaels enough to move forward remains to be seen, but it’s notable that testing even took place. Weekend Update anchors are always chosen with care, as they set the tone for the show’s political satire and viral punchlines, something that’s especially crucial with a heated midterm election season on the horizon.

Sunday also brought the news that writer Celeste Yim is leaving the show after five years on staff. As with Devon Walker’s departure, Michaels seems to be signaling that Season 51 could serve as a reset moment for SNL, both onstage and off.

The fate of the Weekend Update desk is still uncertain, but there’s no question the segment will remain a centerpiece of the show’s rhythm. One constant viewers can count on is James Austin Johnson, whose scary-accurate Trump impersonation has become one of the defining elements of SNL’s political satire in recent years.

The bigger question now is who else will be standing alongside Johnson when the new season begins. Mikey Day has expressed a desire to stick around “for as long as [he] can,” while Bowen Yang’s reflections on Season 50 carried a hint of possible departure. For the moment, it’s a waiting game to see which familiar faces return and which decide to move on.

Lorne Michaels has promised that casting news will arrive soon. Until then, fans can revisit Season 50 with a Peacock subscription and start making their own wish lists of who they hope to see back in Studio 8H this fall.

Saturday Night Live Season 51 premieres Saturday, October 4, at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC, with full episodes streaming the next day on Peacock.

If you can believe it, Michael Che and Colin Jost have been at Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update desk for over a decade now, well surpassing the likes of Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s time on the segment. I don’t see the pair of SNL anchors moving on anytime soon either, as there are currently no signs that they won't keep hosting the news segment on the 2025 TV schedule this fall. But one fellow cast member of the show just pitched a solid replacement I kind of want to see now.

The Current SNL Star Who Pitched Himself For SNL's Weekend Update

Bowen Yang has had a consistently hilarious run as a cast member on SNL since his on-air debut in 2019. And, he also has one of the most popular podcasts hosted by Hollywood stars with his friend Matt Rogers called Las Culturistas. When Yang and Rogers were on Hot Ones Versus to promote their Bravo award show, The Las Culturistas Culture Awards, airing this Tuesday on Bravo and streaming the next day on Peacock, he ended up making a great pitch about SNL.

While being threatened with eating a very spicy chicken wing if he chose not to answer the question, Yang was asked to pick a current cast member on SNL whom he would be OK with seeing leave so that Rogers could be part of the show. Here’s what he had to say to Rogers:

What you might not know is Rogers actually auditioned for the classic sketch comedy TV show back in the day, but wasn’t chosen to be part of the cast. Now, Yang and Rogers do a lot of funny bits without needing to be on the NBC sketch show together. However, Yang’s pitch definitely piqued his comedic partner’s interest. As Rogers added:

I truly haven’t thought about Che and Jost leaving SNL, given their ongoing bits are so successful, but hey, this isn’t a bad pitch for a replacement. Let’s talk about it...

Bowen Yang And Matt Rogers Would Actually Be Solid Weekend Update Replacements

When it comes to a successful Weekend Update, it’s all about the chemistry and dynamic between the two hosts (when there have been two of them) for me. Bowen Yang has certainly established himself as a favorite on SNL, especially for all the characters he does, but perhaps if he wanted to take another role on after quite a few years on the show, I think this could be a fun change of pace for him.

I listen to Las Culturalistas all the time, and he and Matt Rogers have that je ne sais quoi that would continue to make Weekend Update compelling. And I agree with Rogers, they would also bring a “fresh” version of it and make it their own.

That being said, I wonder how long Bowen Yang will remain on SNL, given what his career has become in the last few years. He’s in Wicked for goodness sake! If anything, this whole conversation definitely makes me want to see Matt Rogers join upcoming SNL hosts (or as a special guest) so they can do their take on Weekend Update.

SNL gifted fans with another joke swap last night, though I wouldn’t exactly say it was a surprise. Hardcore fans were speculating we’d get another round of the popular "Weekend Update" series in which hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost write jokes the other must read live without any warning because the conditions just seemed too perfect. Not only was last night’s episode the season finale, which has featured joke swaps in the past, but also, Jost’s real life wife Scarlett Johansson was the episode’s host and she'd even made a comment about "retaliation" a few days ago. You just can’t pass up an opportunity like that, especially when there’s a chance it could be the final Weekend Update for the two.

Thankfully, the joke swap did not disappoint. It, of course, included all of the racial humor and jokes about masturbating during Minecraft’s chicken jockey scene that you’d expect, but more notably, it also included Jost forcing Che to bring out Johansson and apologize to her in person.

She has been the subject of numerous Weekend Update joke swap insults in the past, as both Che and the audience have loved to see Jost squirm as he’s been forced to say truly horrible things about his partner. One time she was even forced to stand there while they read jokes about her. Well, she finally got the apology she deserved, but unfortunately for Jost, that wasn’t the last word, you can watch the joke swap in full below…

As you can see, the joke swap both starts and ends with Jost being forced to read a comment about how much he wants to take over the show. He’s frequently been rumored as a possible successor to creator Lorne Michaels. The longtime showrunner hasn’t made any plans to retire.

In fact, his biographer recently told us she thinks it’s more likely he reduces his schedule than leaves, but he’s also 80 and can’t run the show forever. As a former headwriter and longtime "Weekend Update" host, Jost seems like an ideal next in line, though it’s unclear if he’ll be around long enough to do so.

That’s because, in addition to rumors about him taking over the show, there’s also been a lot of rumors about him leaving the show. He’s been working on a bunch of non-SNL projects (other than the ferry boat), and many fans guessed his wife hosting the final episode of the season could be evidence that it was going to be his last episode. It was clear he and Che were going to stay on through the 2024 Presidential Election, but with that over, they now have to make the decision of whether they want to stay on, given they already hold the record for longest Weekend Update tenures.

We have no idea what’s going to happen, but for now, all we can do is appreciate the legacies they’ve built. They’re among the best Weekend Update hosting duos in history because they’re both sharp joke writers, have incredible chemistry together and are always willing to go there for the laugh. The perfect representation of how far they’re willing to go has always been the joke swaps. They’re most people’s favorite recurring bits they do, and if this was truly the final one, we’ve been so lucky to have gotten as many as we have.

No announcements have been made about the cast and who might be staying and who might be going, however. The show will head into the off season with a lot of questions to be answered, but given SNL has quietly put together a very talented and deep cast, the show will be fine regardless of what happens and no matter who is in charge.

Saturday Night Live’s historic 50th season has been filled with highlights and viral moments, from that toothy White Lotus parody with Sarah Sherman to country star Morgan Wallen’s early on-camera exit. But for many fans out there, it just doesn’t get better or raunchier than Colin Jost and Michael Che’s semi-annual “Joke Swap” portion of Weekend Update. Though I guess that doesn’t just apply to fans, but also to Jost’s significant other Scarlett Johansson, who’s been on the receiving end of several hilariously harsh comments in recent years, particularly during the Christmas episode that capped off 2024.

Now, Johansson is set to return to the 30 Rock stage as the final upcoming SNL guest host of the season, and it sounds like she has ideas in the works for how to vengefully turn the tables back around on Michael Che, though she’s not showing her cards just yet. Speaking with Vanity Fair, in an interview that took place before she was revealed to be the finale’s ringleader, the Black Widow actress put her thinly veiled warning out into the ethers, saying:

For some context that would be uncomfortable to clear up in front of one's grandparents: perhaps the most memorable Joke Swap moment to date came when Colin Jost was made to read a joke comparing his wife's post-pregnancy genitalia to roast beef, with cameras catching Scar-Jo's beffled laughter as she watched on a monitor backstage. (Though Jost himself may have actually been more horrified in the moment.)

Addressing her fleeting moments on the air during that holiday-centric episode, Johansson said it wasn't completely expected, and joked about the Weekend Update hosts being big kids.

Michael Che previously threw down the gauntlet by saying he doesn't think there's a line too far for anyone to cross by way of the joke swap, and nothing within reason is off limits for the roasting. Which I can't imagine will be a great move in hindsight for the comedian, since it pretty much means he's wearing a full-body target suit, and Scar-Jo has an entire armory at her disposal.

Or, at the very least, she has Colin Jost and some other Saturday Night Live writers at her disposal. Which in this case is more effective than an armory, unless the storage compound happened to contain an ancient scroll of "yo momma" jokes.

Check out the first promo for Scar-Jo’s upcoming episode, and theorize about all the ways you'd most like to see her take Che down a peg or ten.

Be sure to tune into NBC on Saturday, May 17, to see if and how Scar-Jo gets her ultimate Season 50 revenge on Michael Che. You can also wait until it's available to stream with a Peacock subscription, but where's the fun in that?

There’s a long history of people letting a swear word slip during a Saturday Night Live performance, but the offending party has typically been a cast member or a host. Not the case this weekend. Instead, it was a few members of the audience who got a bit too rowdy, and the actual performers on stage who heard it happen were clearly amused by the whole thing. Colin Jost especially could not stop laughing at the absurdity of what went down.

The foul-mouthed moment in question happened during a Weekend Update segment. Ego Nwodim was doing a bit that was way better than it had any right to be about how she should host The White House Correspondents Dinner, but instead of doing any political material, she would just roast the food and make jokes that wouldn’t offend anyone. She then spent a few minutes doing intentionally lame stand-up, mostly involving food and political puns.

At one point, she started talking about filibusters and said in her personal life, she’s had her “fill of busters because these men ain’t what?” She turned the mic to the audience for a faux call and response thing and several women loudly shouted “Shit!” It clearly caught everyone on stage off guard, who reacted with shock and laughter. You can watch what happened below…

All praise to Nwodim for getting a few hilarious follow-up comments out about how the audience was going to get fined and how showrunner Lorne Michaels was going to be mad at them for swearing and going off script. I’m not sure either Colin Jost or Michael Che would have been able to do that on account of how flummoxed they clearly were. Che gave an all-time shocked reaction face, and Jost couldn’t stop laughing in the background.

There’s nothing SNL fans love more than a sketch going sideways. The chance that cast members might start laughing or someone might accidentally swear has always been a major appeal element of the show, but I think the reason why it goes so viral every time it happens is because it so rarely happens. If cast members were breaking a few times every week or someone was always improving in an NSFW way, that would just be part of the expectation.

Michaels, however, has always run a really tight ship, and the audience is aware after fifty years of cast members talking about what it’s like behind the scenes that he very much does not want things to go south. He wants to do the sketches as rehearsed; so, when something unexpected does happen, there’s an even bigger sense of danger and surprise than you’d expect.

I’m going to go ahead and upload the official version of the sketch that NBC posted. Nor surprisingly, the audience’s four letter response has been edited out, but the larger bit is still really funny and worth watching….

If you haven’t watched the entire episode yet, you should go back and do that. Host Jack Black was on form all night, and there are a ton of good moments to check out, including a Weekend Update joke making light of the Morgan Wallen debacle last weekend.

SNL will return next week with upcoming host Jon Hamm and musical guest Lizzo. It should be another fantastic episode.

Michael Che and Colin Jost’s joke swap has become an anticipated event for regular Saturday Night Live viewers. It’s rough around the edges, raunchy and generally always includes late-night worthy subject matter that leaves both hosts laughing and red in the face. This year, Scarlett Johansson got caught in the crosshairs, and she opened up about being prepped for the moment and feeling like she was on the 2000s show To Catch A Predator.

SNL is continuing to thrive in its 50th season, as it has more stellar upcoming hosts and musical acts coming on the 2025 TV schedule. And while the late-night sketch show can have some great fun poking at celebrities a la Chloe Fineman's impression of Timothée Chalamet, many think the 2024 joke swap went too far in regards to Johansson. So, the MCU actress weighed in on the infamous evening on TODAY with Jenna & Friends. She shared that she had relatively loose parameters when it came to the jokes, noting that she didn't want to get canceled or divorced because of them, and she agreed to them filming her reactions, saying:

The actress seemed like she was game and knew what she was walking into pre-show, but she was still skeptical. I think the boundaries she outlined were smart, and although the co-anchors push limits, it’s been in good fun. So, I totally get why ScarJo was feeling this way going into the saw.

Then, the Lucy star went on to share what happened live and how everything changed as the segment went on. She noted that she felt like she was cornered and on an incredibly uncomfortable and nerve wracking makeshift-stage, becoming more shocked with each punchline. The Lost in Translation alum was thankful to have a stiff cocktail and a fellow 5-Timer who wasn’t cool with the jokes nearby, as she said:

Johansson’s reaction is not a surprise in the slightest, you could feel her alarming emotions through the screen. Each time it panned back to her, viewers like me became as shocked if not more so for her. That Weekend Update unsurprisingly produced a lot of buzz and Jost's side of the jarring joke swap circulated soon thereafter. Overall, while funny at times, it was intense to watch, and I can't say I blame the actress for having the reaction she had.

Johansson isn’t dwelling on the Jost-Che joke swap in this New Year, though. She has plenty to gear up for this 2025 movie schedule with the July 2nd release of Jurassic World: Rebirth. So, there's a lot to get excited about from her, and maybe it'll result in her hosting SNL again, just minus the wild jokes like the ones from the swap.

You can watch Saturday Night Live on the titular night at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. You can also stream it, and the episode referenced above, with a Peacock subscription.

Few aspects of a Saturday Night Live season are more entertaining than Colin Jost and Michael Che’s annual joke swaps. Every year, specifically around the holidays, the two write quips for the other to read on air, with the twist being that neither sees them beforehand. This year’s swap was particularly brutal, as Jost was forced to make some wild remarks about his wife, Scarlett Johansson, who was backstage at the time. Now, on the heels of SNL’s return amid the 2025 TV schedule, Jost is discussing Johansson’s honest reaction.

During that episode, Colin Jost was made to say his jokes in “Black voice” and eventually remarking on how “Scarlett just celebrated her 40th birthday, which means, I’m about to get up out of there.” He also joked about their son, Cosmo, saying that the public had yet to see a photo of him because he’s “Black as hell.” And, on top of all that, while commenting on Costco apparently removing a roast beef sandwich from its menu, Jost was forced to say “I’ve been eating roast beef every night since my wife had the kid.”

Scarlett Johansson herself even seemed humorously taken aback by those last comments. Just this week, her hubby appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, during which he was asked about the jokes. Fallon specifically asked the Coming 2 America alum if he was in trouble with his wife due to the comments. In the YouTube video, the Weekend Update co-host shared humorously honest thoughts:

Colin Jost went on to say that he wasn’t faking his reaction of surprise at all, as he mentioned that he “can’t act that well.” At this point, one would think that Jost may be somewhat used to having to make jokes at his wife’s expense at one time or another. In May 2024, he was tricked into taking a shot at Scarlett Johansson involving a voice assistant inspired by the actress’ own vocals. Joke swaps aside, Weekend Update guests also manage to slide Johansson jokes in via other ways. Check out the latest joke swap below:

At the end of the day, these swaps seem to be done in good fun and don’t involve anything personal. Michael Che goes so hard on those segments because the audience must believe he’s truly trying to embarrass his co-star. Colin Jost has also gotten better at setting Che up for some humorous massive fails as well. As for Scarlett Johansson, she seems to have a good sense of humor and, if we’re being honest, she could unload on Jost if given the chance. (I’m sure she could riff on Jost’s wild Ferry purchase).

There don’t seem to be any joke swaps set for the immediate future, but tune in this weekend Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC as SNL Season 50’s latest host and musical guest will be Timothée Chalamet. You’ll also be able to access the episode using a Peacock subscription.

Saturday Night Live played all the hits this week. The long-running comedy show treated fans to a 5-Timers Club sketch that involved nearly a dozen A-List former hosts dropping truth bombs, and if that wasn’t enough, it also gifted fans the annual joke swap. The Weekend Update bit, which involves Colin Jost and Michael Che writing jokes for each other to read live on the air, has fast become one of the most talked about recurring sketches in the show’s storied history, and this year’s version delivered.

As per usual, the Internet is mostly focusing on the horrors Colin Jost was forced to read. This time around, SNL put a camera on his wife Scarlett Johansson, as he was forced to read jokes about their baby’s skin color and how often he’s been going down on her since she gave birth. Her shocked reactions have been all over social media since the sketch first aired, as well as a video of her accidentally cursing, but to me, the bits with her weren’t even the most shocking moments.

Those would involve Michael Che and his aghast reaction when he realized he was about to weigh in on the Diddy and Jay-Z allegations. His voice noticeably changed pitches when he realized what he was about to say, and he was shooting Colin Jost the evil eye as the horrors of each new line unfolded. I mean, look at what he was made to read…

There’s always a lot of talk in comedy about what jokes are on the right side of the line and what jokes are on the wrong side of the line. Everyone obviously has their own sense of what material is OK to joke about, but the broad popularity of Weekend Update’s Joke Swap is a good reminder that people’s responses to comedy isn’t always about the specific words being said.

Often, it’s about the intent behind those words, and who the victim of the joke appears to be, which Che has talked about before. In these Joke Swaps, the victim of the joke isn’t the person or the group of people the joke is about, at least not really. We perceive the victim of the joke to be the person who is forced to read it, which is why they can keep pushing these further and further without much pushback that they’re going too far. You can watch the whole sketch as an example…

At least the viewers don’t think they’re going too far. It’s obvious Che had something to say to his buddy Jost as soon as the sketch aired, as you can see him pointing his finger at his co-anchor and delivering some inaudible thoughts. I have to imagine it was about the Jay-Z joke and how he didn’t see it coming.

Fortunately, both men have talked extensively about the Joke Swaps in the past, and they each seem to have a great sense of humor about the whole thing, even if they're "terrifying." They recognize it’s a bit that really works, and I can’t wait to hopefully see another round next year. God only knows the shocking places they’ll go.

As for SNL, it just went on a holiday hiatus, but it'll return sometime in the new year with new episodes and new hosts that haven't been announced yet.

In case you missed it, Jeopardy! premiered a new spinoff far from its original network roots. Pop Culture Jeopardy! is now available to stream with a Prime subscription and it's a fun new highlight hitting the 2024 TV schedule. Taking on hosting duties is Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update co-anchor, Colin Jost, who says he wasn't all that nervous to embrace the new role, and it's all (or in part) thanks to his SNL deskmate, Michael Che.

As we’ve all seen, Jeopardy!’s transition to a new host after the iconic Alex Trebek passed was quite the lengthy process. And it seems that its sister show had the same sort of process when the show was in development, with produders looking at many other hosts but with Jost coming out on top. The Fly Me to the Moon alum talked with The Ringer all about Pop Culture Jeopardy!, and revealed that someone's cold reading skills, or lack there of can make or break a host’s longevity heading up the game show. He shared:

The amount of reading may seem slight and simple enough, but to be able to deliver each question clealry (and in any order) while maintaining contestants' order, and still keeping audiences interested is indeed a tall order. That’s why some of the best game show hosts have stuck around for that long, while others have fizzled. I do think that Jost has the chops to measure up to some of the best, in his own humorous yet intellectual style.

The 42-year-old divulged that it was his SNL co-anchor, Michael Che, who helped build his confidence in his hosting abilities and cold reading. It was because of their long-standing Weekend Update tradition of swapping jokes live on air. He said:

The joke swap has become a fan-favorite element for fans of the pair, and it’s great that Che continues to push the joke swap, and that Jost is continuously game to stay on his toes for it. And it makes sense that the segment prepped him to be able to take on other cold reading projects with ease.

The Coming 2 America alum also opened up about his own game show he was developing before signing on to be the pop culture host with none other than Michael Che. And funnily enough, it’s how he met Michael Davies (who helped produce and write some of the best game shows of all time). As he put it:

It’s funny to realize that the writer’s meeting with Davies seems as serendipitous as can be when it comes to landing the game show gig. It's all about who you know, I suppose.

I kept expecting to see That Damn Michael Che star showing up to the Pop Culture Jeopardy! set so it’s great to hear the two are talking about making a gameshow of their own. And with them gearing up with one of the best television game creators of our time is thrilling to hear. Hopefully, we’ll see that sooner than later!

As for Jost and Pop Culture Jeopardy!, I’m a few episodes in and he does seem like a natural already. And as always, it’s seemingly thanks to Michael Che, naturally. Let’s just hope that confidence sustains him throughout the season, and beyond.

With Saturday Night Live parading into Season 50 and toting some incredible hosts and musical guests, it’s sure to be a year for the books. The historically late night sketch comedy show has always made a name for itself — good, bad, or ugly — as a comedy career incubator for young performers and writers. Learning about how network TV made a historic shift that changed things for the show, and not for the better, is in fact, dumb.

In a recent episode of the SNL-centric podcast, Fly on the Wall, hosts Dana Carvey and David Spade interviewed current Weekend Updaters Michael Che and Colin Jost, and the quartet talked about a variety of topics related to the long-running sketch series, including Che’s threshold for jokes. It was later in the episode when the duo reminded Carvey and Spade, and shocked unbeknownst listeners like myself, why the show currently airs in real-time for all timezones.

Previously, those in the Pacific time zone watched taped versions of SNL episodes during their late-night time blocks. The change was made relatively recently, in the past five years or so, the decision to air SNL live across the country has been part of an effort to give audiences on the West Coast the same "live" experience that East Coasters get. The catch though, as Che highlights, is about content guidelines, explaining:

Jost chimed in to point out the material has to meet the standards for what can air during the primetime hours on NBC, as opposed to the slightly looser reins for late night, and the general lack of censorship for Peacock. So the shift, which was made maybe five years ago, has altered the cast’s writing and style, and I hate that for all of us. Especially since primetime on NBC has historically emphasized keeping content generally safe, family-friendly, and advertiser-friendly, albeit with all of the criminal horrors of Law & Order: SVU.

Though the live experience is now available to people across the country, we live with this newer version. It feels a little sanitized in some regards but the current cast has a lot of promise, including the two anchors. All the same, it is just incredibly dumb that all of this boils down to a corporate decision where audience agreement likely can't be measured to prove it right or wrong. A variety of successful, long-running primetime shows technically have more of a mature edge than modern day SNL.

Moving past the disdain for network TV standards and air times, the cast and crew have made it work regardless of restrictive creative standards. Ariana Grande and Stevie Nicks, the latest duo to grace Studio 8H, really showed up–and people loved the fun game show cold open.

All that said, I guess it is nice to get an authentically live sketch like this where Andy Samberg tried to make Kenan Thompson crack.

As an SNL fan year in and year out, here’s hoping that as the 50th Season continues, and the restrictive standards in place, it continues to find its way. The show has always found different ways to be creative, make waves, and reflect the times, no matter how cringy. You can watch the show, live on Saturday night, on NBC, or if you have a Peacock subscription.

The Weekend Update desk at Saturday Night Live has been headlined by some fantastic stars over the years. Depending on your age, you may feel that some anchors outweigh others. As for the current pair, Colin Jost and Michael Che, they've made quite a name for themselves and have been at it for a decade. But the creative process isn't always perfect for them That's evidenced by the fact that Che revealed a joke, or pun rather, that made him more than cringe, even though it killed.

The looks both anchors have produced over the years have made for more than memorable moments. What jokes make them roll their eyes though? For Michael Che, the answer was revealed via the Fly on the Wall podcast, which is hosted by two famous SNL alums -- Dana Carvey and David Spade. Carvey asked guests Che and Colin Jost if they ever told a joke on Update that made them want to kick the other’s ass. Che was quick to chime in and, though he couldn't remember the set-up, he definitely recalled the punchline:

The podcast sheds light on some of the behind-the-scenes elements of Saturday Night Live, so it's definitely an apt place for Michael Che to have revealed his boundaries when it comes to jokes. One can appreciate that Che and Colin Jost don't shy away from pushing the envelope. Their segment is also a nice palette cleanser during the 90-minute show, but Che definitely had to draw a line in one instance. Again, though, there's something to be said about the fact that the joke ultimately killed.

The punchline was brought in during that week’s run through, with Colin Jost delivering it. Subsequently, the Top Five alum threatened to quit if his partner said it on air. Naturally, Jost delivered it live, because of his co-worker’s disdain for it and, it was the positive reception that infuriated Mr. Che all the more. His response to Jost after that broadcast was:

Still, the exchange seems true to their rapport, and I'm here for it, especially as we’re two episodes into the star-studded SNL Season 50. While both have since stepped down as head writers for the show, they aren’t abandoning their on-air posts. Both anchors have gained popularity during their decade of desk work and are known for their playful, edgy humor that doesn’t discount anyone, even Barack Obama and Scarlett Johansson, who's married to Colin Jost.

A fan favorite is their annual joke swap, which gets edgier by the year. The segment consists of the two writing jokes for each another that they read for the first time live. The spot has become greatly anticipated and has both anchors groaning or blushing as they deliver one after the other. I'd count on these two to continue pushing each other's comedic buttons, and I'll be interested to hear if Michael Che provides any more blunt feedback on a joke moving forward.

New episodes of Saturday Night Live air on the titular night at 11:30 p.m. ET amid the 2024 TV schedule. So you can catch Michael Che and his "punny partner" then. Episodes are also available to stream with the help of a Peacock subscription.

People often talk about how certain topics are off limits nowadays in comedy. They talk about how the rules have changed and how you can’t go to particular places anymore because of the risk of getting cancelled, but in certain contexts, edgy comedy is thriving and more popular than ever. A great example of that is the Weekend Update joke swaps on Saturday Night Live. Hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost occasionally do segments where they give each other jokes to read, and it’s sometimes shocking in how far they go, all with the audience’s approval.

Che and Jost, along with their longtime boss Lorne Michaels, recently sat for an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to talk about the much anticipated 50th season of SNL that’s about to begin, as well as the star-studded anniversary special coming in February. During the convo, the topic of the beloved joke swaps came up, and Che was asked whether there’s a line. He said no, and while discussing it, he explained why he goes so far…

People often talk about punching down in comedy and how modern audiences don’t find it funny when marginalized groups or people without power are targeted for laughs. The reason the joke swaps work so well, according to Che, is that they’re not the target of the jokes.

The target is actually the person who is forced to read the joke. So, the audience isn’t laughing at the joke itself (although sometimes they are very funny), they’re instead laughing at the poor anchor that has to read something that offensive. So, in that way, the more racist or mean-spirited the joke is, the more it amplifies the pain of the person reading it, not who the joke, on the surface, targets. That's probably why Jost has previously called the recurring bit "terrifying."

It also helps that Che and Jost have fantastic chemistry and have worked closely together for years. In their best moments, they feel like two friends giving each other a hard time in the spirit of brotherly love, and that really comes through in the joke swaps. We all recognize the glances between them, as they feel like the glances we give our buddies when we rip on them for something in good fun.

Che and Jost haven’t officially announced there will be another joke swap in Season 50, but you can be positive it’s going to come at some point. If all goes well, it should be just one of many viral moments we’ll see in a short stretch that includes a President election, many exciting guest hosts, numerous former cast members popping in on random episodes and, of course, the Season 50 special which should be every bit as amazing as SNL 40 was.

We’re only a week away from Saturday Night Live’s milestone 50th season debuting on the 2024 TV schedule, and fans are already pumped to see what the writers come up with to comment on the upcoming presidential election. It’s already been confirmed that Maya Rudolph will be back for SNL 50 to portray Kamala Harris, and James Austin Johnson will presumably resume his scary accurate impression of Donald Trump. “Weekend Update” anchors Michael Che and Colin Jost spoke about having guests like Rudolph come on for such roles and how the cast feels about it.

While we’re pretty sure about the presidential candidates (Lorne Michaels has been a little coy about his plans for SNL 50), it’s not known who might portray other political figures including Harris and Trump's running mates, Tim Walz and JD Vance. Hell, even second gentleman Doug Emhoff hoped to see an impression of himself. So just how bothered are the cast members when outsiders are brought in to do the job? Colin Jost admitted to THR:

To me, that sounds like confirmation that some cast members do get rubbed the wrong way when another celeb is brought in, possibly for purposes of name recognition or simply just looking like that political figure. But the reality is that sometimes you have to check your ego for the sake of the show.

Another reality that Lorne Michaels and co. have to face is that because of all of Saturday Night Live’s great presidential impressions over the years, this is now something that the audience expects. Colin Jost said they didn’t want to start writing too soon because things change in the news so quickly, but fans started doing that planning for them, like when “the world” decided Maya Rudolph was returning before she’d agreed to it. Jost said:

Yes, that's a real list, and fans actually had some great suggestions for Tim Walz's impressionist. That’s really a compliment to the actors and cast members like Maya Rudolph, Alec Baldwin, Will Ferrell and more, because Michael Che pointed out that such political impressions on Saturday Night Live haven’t always been the expectation. Che told Jost:

Oh yes, Melissa McCarthy’s caricature of the former press secretary was a thing of beauty (though Spicer definitely had thoughts on McCarthy’s impression), and one can understand why SNL fans would be excited to see iconic moments like that being created from the current election cycle.

Thankfully, we don’t have long to wait to see who exactly will show up, because SNL’S 50th season premieres at 11:30 p.m. ET Saturday, September 28, with Hacks star Jean Smart guest hosting and Jelly Roll as the musical guest. The milestone season will also see several former stars popping in, and fans are already freaking out about John Mulaney and Chappell Roan.

Saturday Night Live will air on NBC and can be streamed with a Peacock subscription.

For years now, Colin Jost and Michael Che have served as the co-anchors of Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update. But, aside from their desk gigs, the two also had other important posts on the storied sketch comedy show. Che and Jost both served stints as the head writers for the series, before ultimately stepping down. Now, the pair have provided some insight into why they don’t hold those important posts anymore. Unsurprisingly, the reasons are very personal.

The 2018 Emmy co-hosts held down co-head writer duties over different stretches of time. Colin Jost initially served in the position from 2012 to 2015 after joining SNL in 2005. He then took up the job once more from 2017 to 2022, at which time Michael Che was his co-head writer. Both comics stopped by The Howard Stern Show, where they reflected on their past duties. After Jost discussed the stints, Che also offered some praise for Jost:

Colin Jost: It felt like it was kind of over a couple of years (that we stepped away) because I feel like I did it at least 8 years or something, maybe more. Then we did it together at least 5. And then we were sorta not doing the job for the last couple years because we were being torn in a lot of other directions.

Michael Che: Colin is really good at it, and he’s always stayed as a leader in the writers room, but I wasn’t doing the job.

As the How to Be Single star went on to explain, there were non-work-related factors that also led to his decision to shift away from the big job. He also cited the strain that the gig was having on his personal life, which consists of his marriage to Scarlett Johansson. As heard in the YouTube clip, the actor specifically recalled how his attempts at self-care were impacted:

One would imagine that the situation really wasn’t easy given that Colin Jost and the Avengers icon share a son, Cosmo, who was born in August 2021. Though, at the time, Jost didn’t just think that he was putting a strain on his loved ones:

Despite no longer being the head writers, Colin Jost and Michael Che remain major fixtures at SNL via Weekend Update. The two occasionally manage to break their Internet with their gags, and that’s especially true whenever they write inappropriate barbs for each other as part of their annual joke swap. (One of the latest swaps involved a brutal shot at Scarlett Johansson.) The two also have other projects on their plate, with one being a comedy special from Peacock, which will showcase up-and-coming comedians. So, while they may no longer be head writers, they still have a lot going on.

You can see the two anchors back at the Weekend Update desk when Saturday Night Live Season 50 premieres on September 28 at 11:30 p.m. ET amid the 2024 TV schedule. Also, stream past episodes with a Peacock subscription.

Netflix offers a plethora of comedy specials to subscribers, each of which showcase the talents of some of the entertainment industries most notable talents. John Mulaney, Chris Rock and Bo Burnham are among the comedians with specials on the platform. At this point, the streamer has become a go-to for stand-up fare, and for good reason. Now, it seems that Peacock is taking a page out of the entertainment giant’s book. The way in which it’s done that is by tapping two Saturday Night Live stars for a special of their own.

Later in September, Peacock is going to debut Colin Jost & Michael Che Present: New York After Dark. That’s right, the co-anchors of Weekend Update are set to take center stage in what will mark the streaming service’s first-ever live comedy special. The company announced the news via a release, explaining that the event will be live-streamed from Brooklyn’s The Bell House, where a live audience will be present. 1500 or Nothin’ will also be on hand to provide music alongside the performances.

It’s also mentioned in the release that the show will feature “drop-ins” from a number of comics. Many of them are touted as fresh faces within the industry, who the eponymous SNL stars are fans of. However, there’s also a tease regarding the inclusion of well-known comics from the New York area. So, given that criteria, it’s possible that stars like Chris Rock, Ben Stiller or Jerry Seinfeld could pop in at some point. Surely, audiences – both those at the event and those watching from home – would love to see any of those stars.

This marks a major step for Peacock, which has great shows both scripted and non-scripted. Up to this point, the company has invested in pre-recorded comedy specials, such as Kevin Hart: Reality Check, Sean Patton: Number One and Joyelle Nicole Johnson: Love Joy. Considering the viability of the live comedy-centric entertainment, it’s not hard to see why the NBCUniversal-owned streamer would want to get in on that market. If New York After Dark succeeds, more could follow.

A production like this also serves as a solid resume credit for both Colin Jost and Michael Che (whose Shame the Devil special is available with a Netflix subscription). In addition to overseeing the proceedings, both of the stars serve as executive producers. I’d imagine that there’s also a firm chance that the duo will manage to get in some good jokes themselves. Of course, the night is all about the special guests, so I wouldn’t expect any barbs as wild as their “terrifying and exhilarating” joke swaps.

I’m intrigued to see who ends up appearing on the special, and I’m just as curious about what kind of ramifications the production can have for the streamer that’s hosting it. Could we be seeing the beginning of a successful move into live comedy for Peacock. It’s honestly far too early to tell. Still, this special will, at the very least, provide viewers with an opportunity to enjoy some under-the-radar talent.

Colin Jost & Michael Che Present: New York After Dark streams live for Peacock subscription holders on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET. Also, remember that Che and Jost will return to their Weekend Update posts when Saturday Night Live Season 50 premieres on September 28 as part of the 2024 TV schedule.

Fans of Saturday Night Live are familiar with the tradition that “Weekend Update” hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che have for season finales and holiday episodes, where they write jokes for each other to read on air without seeing them beforehand. For us at home, the joke swap is a highly anticipated event, but Jost’s wife Scarlett Johansson has a completely different perspective. With Che regularly including jokes about her in the material he gives to Jost, the Marvel actress admitted she blacks out during those segments, but how does it affect how she feels about Che? 

Scarlett Johansson Blacked Out During Colin Jost’s ‘Painful’ SNL Joke Swap 

During Saturday Night Live’s season finale back in May, Colin Jost delivered a brutal joke about Scarlett Johansson relating to the movie Her, in which Johansson voices an A.I. character. The line that Michael Che wrote claimed that Jost had never seen his wife’s movie because “without that body, what’s the point of listening?” Soon after the episode aired, Johansson appeared on a segment of The Kelly Clarkson Show, where she revealed what it was like to watch that happen. She said: 

I can only imagine how much anxiety that would cause, knowing that your name is probably going to get brought up but having no idea what your husband is going to say about you. That line, as Scarlett Johansson told Kelly Clarkson, was pretty tame too, compared to the other material Michael Che wrote, which undoubtedly adds to how terrifying the joke swaps are. So where does the two-time Oscar nominee stand with Che? 

Does Scarlett Johansson ‘Get Mad’ At Michael Che For Writing Jokes About Her? 

The SNL season finale wasn’t the first (or probably last) time Michael Che wrote a joke about her for Colin Jost to read live on the air — he included her in the host of inappropriate jokes the “Weekend Update” hosts exchanged around Christmas time and many other times over the years. As painful as it clearly is, Scarlett Johansson doesn’t seem to take it personally, as she opened up to the New York Times about the segment and how she feels about Che afterward, saying: 

Whether she knows it’s all in good fun or simply understands that it’s part of her husband’s job, Scarlett Johansson doesn’t hold any ill will toward Michael Che for the jokes he writes for Colin Jost (which is fair, given the fact that Jost’s jokes for Che are just as bad). 

Keep your eye on the 2024 TV schedule for SNL’s 50th season premiere date, and in the meantime, you can see Colin Jost cameo in Scarlett Johansson’s new movie Fly Me to the Moon. Be sure to also take a peek at CinemaBlend’s interview with director Greg Berlanti, as they discuss the actress and the fake moon landing rom-com. 

Having served as the co-anchors of Saturday Night Live’s "Weekend Update" for more than 10 seasons now, Colin Jost and Michael Che are incredibly comfortable with each other. They have such rapport, in fact, that they’ve established a “joke swap” tradition. During it, the two write quips for each and, without having seen them beforehand, perform them on air. The pair continued this trend for the show’s Season 49 finale, and it was a doozy. What really stood out amongst the pack of insane barbs, however, was a brutal shot that Jost was tricked into making at the expense of his wife, Scarlett Johansson. 

It’s a relatively well-known fact, at this point, that Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansson are married, as they tied the knot in 2020 several years after meeting at SNL. Since then, their union has come up a few times - mostly when jokes are made. Michael Che seems to take particular pleasure in poking fun at his buddy and his wife and, on this week’s show, he did that in a big way. During the episode (on which Jake Gyllenhaal was the latest Season 49 host), Jost was hoodwinked into making a hilarious crack about his wife, which cleverly referenced one of her most notable films. Here’s what Jost was forced to say during the show:

Ouch! The Top Five alum definitely came up with a sharp barb for his co-anchor to say. It’s one of those classic jokes that makes you want to laugh but also equally cringe. But, of course, that’s the main aim of the joke swap, and there were plenty of other wisecracks this time around that drew some strong reactions from the audience. Among them were a reference to disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein, a shot at the Catholic church and a hilarious reference to the rap beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. On top of all that, there was even a Jewish rabbi present. For context, check out the entire segment for yourself: 

This was a wild slate of unsuitable jokes, and that’s saying a lot, given what the two stars have written for each other in the past. Just last Christmas, Michael Che and Colin Jost wrote inappropriate jokes for each other about former U.S. President Barack Obama, late pop icon Michael Jackson and more. There was also a Scarlett Johansson joke thrown in then, and that’s not the only one Che has written for his pal to say. During the 2020 holiday season, Jost had to read a Johansson joke that was linked to her highly panned casting in the feature film adaptation of Ghost in the Shell. Jost recently admitted that he finds these joke swaps “both terrifying and exhilarating,” and it’s not hard to see why.

Despite these hilariously messed up gags, everyone involved seems to take them in stride. The celebrity couple at the center of many of these insults certainly doesn’t seem to be negatively affected by them. Having both had their share of performances on SNL, both the Black Widow alum and her comedian husband can take it as well as they can dish it out. All in all, the Mr. Jost and Mrs. Johansson remain couple goals.

I do still wonder how Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansson’s first conversation after the show went down, though. One could easily imagine that being a funny chat and, chances are, that’s exactly what Michael Che was hoping for.

Saturday Night Live Season 49 is officially done, and the 50th anniversary season is set to kick off this fall on NBC as part of the 2024 TV schedule. It’s sure to be a biggie that’s filled with more laughs and wild joke swaps. In the meantime, stream past episodes using a Peacock subscription.

As the discourse surrounding Jo Koy, the Golden Globes and the negative reactions that followed continue, Michael Che has weighed in on comedians generally hosting award shows. The long-time Saturday Night Live cast member took his turn at hosting during the 2018 Emmys. Now, following the fiasco that happened at this year’s Globes, he’s explained why comedians should “boycott” hosting awards programs in a now-deleted Instagram post.  

Michael Che didn’t hold back on his thoughts about comedians hosting award shows. In a now-deleted Instagram post (via New York Post) the Weekend Update co-anchor explained why they should “boycott” these kinds of gigs:
 

This point makes sense, as the 2024 Golden Globe winners and nominees can likely attest, being in that room and waiting to hear who is taking home the gold has to be intimidating and nerve-wracking. So, it makes sense why Che wrote that they might not want to be joked about. 

Michael Che then provided another reason as to why comedians should not take these gigs, continuing to hammer home the idea that the celebrities nominated don’t want to be made fun of:

It’s no secret that an audience like the Golden Globe’s is a tough crowd to please, and Koy did not make them laugh. While folks were angry about the jokes he made, some have pointed out how difficult it is to take on a job like this. Steve Martin shared his thoughts on Koy and the reactions to his monologue, noting that hosting an award show is “not for the squeamish.” 

Along with Steve Martin, who hosted the Oscars three times, Michael Che has tried his hand at it. In 2018, the SNL cast member co-hosted the Emmys with Colin Jost, and they did pretty well.

Clearly, Che does not want comedians to take these gigs, as he thinks they’ll be performing in a room of people who don’t want to laugh in the first place. Obviously, this is simply his opinion, however, as Martin noted, leading award shows is not an easy feat, so it makes sense that comedians are a bit flustered.

While you probably won’t be seeing Michael Che hosting any award shows, as he’s likely boycotting them, you can see him co-host Weekend Update with a Peacock subscription or on NBC when Saturday Night Live returns on the 2024 TV schedule on January 20.

Saturday Night Live gave us its last episode before Christmas last night. The stacked ninety minutes included cameos, a ton of Kate McKinnon greatness and Billie Eilish performing “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie, but for many watching at home, the annual Christmas Joke Swap was the biggest takeaway. Every year, Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che write jokes for the other person to read, and this year, they were even more mean-spirited and tough to get through than usual.

The way Weekend Update ordinarily works is Che and Jost write jokes and plan out the segment as a team; so, they’re always well aware of what’s being said and have veto control over the jokes they’re delivering. During the annual Christmas Joke Swap, however, they write jokes for the other person, which they’re forced to read live on the air. These, of course, tend to be particularly vicious, and this year may have been the wildest yet, as we got very politically incorrect jokes about everything from Barack Obama to Michael Jackson to The Middle East. Jost was even forced to talk about his wife Scarlett Johansson. You can watch the segment below…

Not surprisingly, the Christmas Joke swap attracted some criticism online about a few or all of the comments being over the line, but by and large, the reaction seems to have been extremely positive, with many praising how far the performers were willing to go. It’s by far the most popular clip on YouTube from last night’s episode, and it’ll definitely be shared widely in the coming days on social media, probably because it’s so much fun watching Jost and Che visually scan the cue cards for the first time, knowing they’re going to have to say them out loud.

It’s impossible for me to pick a single favorite joke, but I will point to a few of my favorite moments. First, I love Che bringing out Dr. Hattie Davis, a woman he described as a poet, author and activist to sit next to Jost for all the racially-charged jokes he wrote for him. That was expert level trolling. Second, this felt like the first year where Jost really punched back as hard. He’s always written good, funny jokes for prior swaps, but it has sometimes felt like Che has been the only one to really take the gloves off and swing. Not this year. The jokes about The Middle East and Michael Jackson were especially uncomfortable and on the same level as what Che gave him, which included the Coretta Scott King Black Widow joke and sexual abuse survivors joke. 

You never know how long people are going to stay on Saturday Night Live. I certainly hope Jost and Che will both be back next year to deliver another Christmas Joke Swap, but as Kate McKinnon reminded us last night, even the all-time greats need to move on at some point. So, my fingers are crossed this won’t be the last Christmas Joke Swap we get, but just in case this is, I’m going to watch this one a few more times to fully appreciate it. 

Over the years, WrestleMania has given us some of the electrifying matches of all time, iconic moments that we’re still talking about years (and decades) later, and more pageantry than anyone could ever imagine. But the one thing that separates the “Granddaddy of Them All” from your normal wrestling show is the event’s history with celebrity guests, who do everything from make brief appearances or participate in unforgettable matches.

Below is a list of the 35 celebrities who have appeared at WrestleMania, which dates back to WWE’s first pop culture event in 1985 and going all the way to its most recent running in April 2023. From WWE Hall of Famers to guests you may have forgotten, this is quite a list… 

Mr. T (WrestleMania)

We couldn’t kick off our list of WrestleMania celebrity guests with anyone but Mr. T., the star of The A-Team and Rocky III who sided with Hulk Hogan in the main event of the first “Showcase of the Immortals” back in 1985. His tag match with the Hulkster vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff wasn’t a wrestling clinic, but the spectacle of the headlining bout helped make WrestleMania the success story we know today.

Mike Tyson (WrestleMania XIV)

Mike Tyson may have had the quickest three-count in WWE history when he served as the guest enforcer in the WrestleMania XIV match that saw “Stone Cold” Steve Austin dethrone Shawn Michaels for the championship, but it’s still an outstanding moment 25 years later. The controversial boxing figure certainly made the 1998 event one to remember, even before he turned on his D-Generation X ally.

Cyndi Lauper (WrestleMania)

Cyndi Lauper, who was instrumental in the Rock 'n' Wrestling boom of the mid 1980s, also played a key role in the inaugural WrestleMania event. From her great backstage promo with the late “Mean” Gene Okerlund to standing in the corner of Wendi Richter when she defeated Leilani Kai to win the WWE Women’s Championship, the “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” singer was everywhere that night.

Snoop Dogg (WrestleMania 39)

Snoop Dogg has played a role in four different WrestleMania events over the years, but his most recent appearance at the 2023 “Super Bowl of Wrestling” has to be his best. There’s a case to be made for WrestleMania 39 being the best of all time, and the prolific West Coast rapper was key to that success. After Shane McMahon injured himself entering the ring, Snoop saved the segment when he pulled an audible and hit the Miz with a ridiculous “People’s Elbow.”

Muhammad Ali (WrestleMania)

Mike Tyson wasn’t the first boxer to make his presence felt at WrestleMania. That honor falls on the late, great Muhammad Ali, who served as the guest referee in the event’s first headlining bout. There’s even a moment where the boxing legend was standing in the ring with Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, and Liberace. Wrestling is wild sometimes.

Ozzy Osbourne (WrestleMania 2)

WrestleMania 2, which was the only edition in the event’s history to take place in three separate cities, saw a great number of celebrity guests throughout the night. One of the best definitely has to be Ozzy Osbourne, who served as the British Bulldogs’ manager when the team of Davey Boy Smith and the Dynamite Kid captured the gold in the Chicago’s Rosemont Horizon.

Pete Rose (WrestleMania XV)

One of the best running WrestleMania gags of the late 1990s and early 2000s was Pete Rose getting tombstoned by Kane. The controversial Cincinnati Reds legend, who was barred from MLB after a gambling scandal, showed up as the San Diego Chicken at WrestleMania XV in 1999 and was once again confronted by the “Big Red Machine,” who quickly put him in his place to the roar of the Philadelphia crowd.

Johnny Knoxville (WrestleMania 38)

The Jackass crew has a long history with WWE, and one of the genuinely best chapters in that story is Johnny Knoxville’s bout against Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 38. The “Anything Goes” match, which was one of the most memorable contests on the two-day card, had no business being so good. Combining old school wrestling storytelling with Jackass gags (like a giant hand and a mouse trap), the showdown became an instant classic.

Ray Charles (WrestleMania 2)

Some of the greatest singers of all time have lent their voices to WWE over the years, including Ray Charles. The beloved singer known for hits like “Georgia on My Mind,” “Hit the Road Jack,” and “I Got a Woman” performed “America the Beautiful” to kick off WrestleMania 2.

Bob Uecker (WrestleMania IV)

Milwaukee Brewers radio broadcaster (and Major League star) Bob Uecker has quite the history at WrestleMania, as he has popped up three times in the event’s history. It all started with WrestleMania III when “Mr. Baseball” helped out on commentary, but the next year's event saw one of the most classic moments in WWE history when Andre the Giant gave Uecker an interview he'll never forget.

Aretha Franklin (WrestleMania III)

In addition to all her hit songs, iconic movie moments, and other achievements, Aretha Franklin appeared at two WrestleMania events throughout her life, both of which were held in or near her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. The late singer performed “America the Beautiful” at WrestleMania III in the Pontiac Silverdome and then again 20 years later at Ford Field.

Bad Bunny (WrestleMania 37)

Rapper-turned-wrestler-turned-actor Bad Bunny made his in-ring wrestling debut at WrestleMania 37 where he teamed with Damian Priest to take on the Miz and John Morrison in a winning effort. He has since returned to the ring on multiple occasions and continues to improve as a performer.

Gladys Knight (WrestleMania IV) 

Seven-time Grammy winner Gladys Knight is another legendary singer who has been a part of the WrestleMania festivities over the years. Knight showed up at WrestleMania IV in 1988 to perform the customary “America the Beautiful” to nearly 20,000 fans in attendance at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City.

Run-D.M.C. (WrestleMania V)

A few years before WWE superstars performed the “WrestleMania” song, hip hop legends Run-D.M.C. hit the ring with a rap of their own at WrestleMania V in April 1989. The “WrestleMania Rap” was created for the event and was performed by the group in the middle of the ring in front of thousands of screaming fans. 

Pat McAfee (WrestleMania 38)

Former Indianapolis Colts punter and current sports talk legend Pat McAfee has had quite the history in WWE the past few years, including some pretty stellar in-ring moments. Perhaps the biggest came at WrestleMania 38 when he challenged Vince McMahon to a match after defeating Austin Theory. Though Mr. McMahon won the bout (due to some shenanigans), McAfee, with the help of Steve Austin, got the last laugh.

Shaquille O'Neal (WrestleMania 32)

Shaquille O’Neal and professional wrestling was a match made in heaven, and WWE fans got to see that become a reality when the Pro Basketball Hall of Famer entered the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32. Was it a display of in-ring talent? No, but it was an unforgettable moment seeing him stand face-to-face with Big Show in the middle of the 20-man match.

Regis Philbin (WrestleMania VII)

WrestleMania VII is best remembered for being the beginning of the Undertaker’s historic streak as well as the main event championship match between WWE Champion Sgt. Slaughter and Hulk Hogan. The night also included an appearance by Regis Philbin, who stepped in and helped provide commentary in the high-profile headlining bout. 

Alex Trebek (WrestleMania VII)

Alex Trebek, the longtime host of Jeopardy, was another major celebrity guest for WrestleMania VII where he served as the ring announcer during the main event match. The beloved TV figure, who passed away in 2020, also conducted multiple backstage interviews throughout the event.

Rob Gronkowski (WrestleMania 36)

Four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski has had two appearances at the “Granddaddy of Them All” over the years, including WrestleMania 36 where he served as the host of the event taped behind closed doors at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The former tight end for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers previously took part in WrestleMania 33 where he helped friend Mojo Rawley win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Al Roker (WrestleMania 33)

WrestleMania 33 is best remembered for John Cena proposing to Nikki Bella in the middle of the ring after defeating the Miz and Maryse in a mixed-gender tag team match. But who was the ring with Cena and his former girlfriend? None other than Al Roker, the longtime weatherman and personality on NBC’s Today show.

Reba McEntire (WrestleMania VIII)

Reba McEntire made an appearance at WrestleMania VIII in April 1992. The celebrated country singer and actress took to the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana, to perform the “Star-Spangled Banner” in front of a massive 60,000-strong crowd of screaming wrestling fans.

Burt Reynolds (WrestleMania X)

WWE returned to Madison Square Garden for WrestleMania X in March 1994, an event that featured multiple celebrity guests like Donnie Wahlberg, Rhonda Shear, and Jennie Garth. The biggest actor to appear, and the man who served as ring announcer in the main event match involving Bret Hart and Yokozuna, was none other than Burt Reynolds.

Little Richard (WrestleMania X)

Another celebrity guest featured at WrestleMania X was legendary R&B trailblazer, Little Richard, who was on hand to perform “America the Beautiful” to kick off the historic event.

Pamela Anderson (WrestleMania XI)

Pamela Anderson, who was all the rage at the time thanks to her role on Baywatch, was one of the multiple celebrity guests on hand at WrestleMania XI in April 1995. The pop culture sensation served as Diesel’s, aka Kevin Nash, valet in his bout against Shawn Michaels.

Lawrence Taylor (WrestleManina XI)

WWE has a long history of bringing in big-named athletes for marquee events, and that includes Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, who took on Bam Bam Bigelow in the WrestleMania XI main event. The two-time Super Bowl champion was joined by a half-dozen other NFLers in a winning effort.

Floyd Mayweather (WrestleMania XXIV)

Boxer Floyd Mayweather is another big-name celebrity who has appeared at the “Showcase of the Immortals.” The decorated boxer, who took home a big paycheck for a 2021 fight with Logan Paul, entered the squared circle to take on Big Show in no DQ match at WrestleMania XXIV back in 2008.

Donald Trump (WrestleMania 23)

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has made many appearances over the years, including a “Battle of the Billionaires” match at WrestleMania 23. Trump’s night ended after taking a Stunner from Steve Austin.

Ice-T (WrestleMania 2000)

Rapper-turned-actor Ice-T showed up at WrestleMania 2000 where he performed “Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy” for the Godfather’s entrance.

Limp Bizkit (WrestleMania XIX)

Limp Bizkit, still one of the bigger nu-metal bands at the time, performed a pair of tracks at WrestleMania XIX in March 2003: that year’s official song, “Crack Addict,” and their own hit track, “Rollin,” for the Undertaker’s entrance.

Mickey Rourke (WrestleMania XXV)

After appearing in The Wrestler, one of the best movies of the 2000s, Mickey Rourke entered the ring for real when he confronted Chris Jericho at WrestleMania XXV. Though he didn’t participate in a match, he did give Y2J a knockout punch.

Paul Reubens As Pee-Wee Herman (WrestleMania XXVII)

The Rock may have been the biggest name in the house when he hosted WrestleMania XXVII in April 2011, but he wasn’t the only celebrity on hand that night. The late Paul Reubens, as his famous Pee-Wee Herman character, showed up throughout the night in one of his numerous WWE appearances over the years.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs (WrestleMania 29) 

Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared at WrestleMania 29 where he performed “Coming Home,” one of the event’s official theme songs.

Kid Rock (WrestleMania XXV) 

Kid Rock performed not one, not two, but a whole medley of tracks at WrestleMania XXV back in 2009, including smash hit songs “Bawitdaba” and “Cowboy.”

Colin Jost And Michael Che (WrestleMania 35)

After teasing it in the leadup to the event, Saturday Night Live stars Colin Jost and Michael Che showed up at WrestleMania 35 where they participated in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. They weren’t successful or anything, but they did look extra ridiculous, especially when Braun Strowman got involved.

Machine Gun Kelly (WrestleMania XXVIII) 

About a decade before Machine Gun Kelly started his whirlwind romance with Megan Fox, the rapper showed up at WrestleMania XXVIII to perform “Invincible,” that year’s official theme song.

You can go back and watch these celebrity appearances and other great WrestleMania moments with a Peacock subscription. And with WrestleMania XL, as well as other upcoming WWE events on the way, there’s a chance we’ll see even more names on this list in the coming months. 

Colin Jost and Michael Che have been hosting Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update for nearly a decade now and, in that time, the two comedic talents have forged a firm bond. At this point, their relationship is so strong that they can make sweet jokes regarding one’s baby announcement and even exchange one-liners every Christmas. They also pull April Fool’s pranks on each other and, this year, Che really got his longtime cohort at the news desk. And luckily for you, the clip is available to see in its hilarious glory. 

Weekend Update pretty much ran normally this past Saturday though, to some, one element may have seemed a bit off. As both anchors joked about the biggest developments of the past week, Michael Che managed to get major laughs, while the reactions to Colin Jost’s were a bit more tame. As it turns out, there was a reason for that because, after Jost made a joke about former U.S. President Donald Trump, Che revealed to Jost that he asked the audience not to laugh at his jokes for April Fool’s. The reveal was enough to overwhelm the confused Jost, whose reaction you can see in the Twitter post down below:

You really can’t help but chuckle when seeing how genuinely shocked the Coming 2 America alum is by the revelation. As he mentioned, he was even beginning to wonder if his mic was working properly. Kudos to his co-anchor for managing to pull off such a fun prank. I’d give the idea a 9 for creativity, while the reaction from the audience and the prankee are strong enough to garner a perfect 10.

The delightful duo has been through a lot during their tenures at SNL, serving solely as writers before they each made their way to Weekend Update. The two seem to have firm chemistry and naturally bounce off each other. That’s probably the reason why they were tasked with hosting the Primetime Emmys in 2018. And if that weren’t enough, they even tag-teamed in the ring for a fun match at Wrestlemania 35.

And though the two tend to bust each other’s chops now and then, there really appears to be nothing but love between them. They’ve shown support for each other’s endeavors outside of SNL, with Colin Jost even once revealing that Michael Che thought it was cool that he’d been cast in Tom & Jerry. (That’s pretty ironic since the cartoon cat and mouse are another instance of two opposites meshing and creating comedic gold.)

Now, I’m simply wondering how Colin Jost might aim to pay Michael Che back next April Fool’s Day. He’s really going to have to think up something clever if he wants to beat his colleague’s prank. We’ll what happens if (or when) he decides to take a shot.

Check out Saturday Night Live at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC as part of the 2023 TV schedule, and stream past episodes using a Peacock subscription.