Saturday Night Live season 51

Saturday Night Live
Season 51
No. of episodes15
Release
Original networkNBC and Peacock
Original releaseOctober 4, 2025 (2025-10-04) –
present
Season chronology

The fifty-first season of the American sketch comedy late night television program Saturday Night Live premiered on October 4, 2025[1] on NBC and Peacock during the 2025–26 television season, with host Bad Bunny and musical guest Doja Cat, and will conclude on May 16, 2026.[2] In the season, the series reached a milestone: airing its 1,000th episode, on January 31, 2026, with host Alexander Skarsgård and musical guest Cardi B.[3][4]

Cast

On August 22, 2025, prior to the start of the season, creator/executive producer Lorne Michaels confirmed that changes to the cast were guaranteed and that announcements about any changes would be made in the following weeks.[5]

Beginning on August 25, a series of departures was announced, starting with Devon Walker (who had been let go from the show after three seasons - since 2022), followed later by featured player Emil Wakim (who was let go after one season), Michael Longfellow (also let go after three seasons - since 2022), Heidi Gardner (who had been let go after eight seasons - since 2017),[6] and Ego Nwodim (who voluntarily left after seven seasons - since 2018).[7][8][9][10][11]

On September 2, 2025, five new featured cast members were announced: stand-up comic Tommy Brennan, Upright Citizens Brigade performer and Dropout TV regular Jeremy Culhane, stand-up comic and Kill Tony podcast regular Kam Patterson, social media comedian and actress Veronika Slowikowska, and Ben Marshall, SNL staff writer and member of the comedy trio and former SNL collaborators, Please Don't Destroy.[12] PDD's time on SNL ended after four seasons (2021–2025) as John Higgins departed the show while Martin Herlihy remained in a writing-only capacity.

Michaels also confirmed that James Austin Johnson would return, noting that the show would rely on Johnson's Donald Trump impersonation for the foreseeable future.[13]

This was the final season for longtime cast member Bowen Yang (who started on the writing staff in 2018 and had been a cast member since 2019), as he left the show following the Christmas episode hosted by his Wicked co-star, Ariana Grande, on December 20, 2025.[14] He is the sixth cast member to leave the show in 2025, following the former cast members listed above.

bold denotes "Weekend Update" anchor

Writers

Main article: List of Saturday Night Live writers § Season 51 (2025–26)

On August 24, 2025, writer Celeste Yim announced, via Instagram, that they had left the show after five seasons. Yim joined the writing staff in 2020 and became the show's first openly trans, non-binary writer. They also became a writing supervisor in the second half of season 48.[15] The next day, Rosebud Baker, a writer since 2022 who was appointed as a Weekend Update writer the previous season, announced she also had left the show after nearly three seasons.[16] On September 2, 2025, it was announced that Please Don't Destroy member John Higgins, who had been a writer on SNL since 2021, would be leaving after four seasons.[17] On September 4, 2025, long-term writer Steven Castillo announced his departure. Castillo previously wrote for the show from 2017 to 2021, before returning midway through season 49 in 2024, and overall wrote for seven non-consecutive seasons. He stated that his second run at SNL was never meant to be long-term and that he just wanted to be a part of the 50th season.[18]

On September 30, 2025, prior to the start of the season, seven new writers—Jack Bensinger, Tucker Flodman, Maxwell Gay, Claire McFadden, Rachel Pegram, Jo Sunday, and Maddie Wiener—were all hired. At the same time, Auguste White, a writer who joined in 2022, had left the show after three seasons.[19]

Additionally, long time senior writer Bryan Tucker is on a temporary leave from the show, longtime writer/producer Erik Kenward (who has been with the show since 2001) has been promoted to head writer (alongside Kent Sublette, Alison Gates, and Streeter Seidell), and longtime producer Erin Doyle (who has been with the show since 2009) has been promoted to top-level producer alongside Kenward and Steve Higgins.[20]

Episodes

Main article: List of Saturday Night Live episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		HostMusical guestOriginal release date [21]U.S. viewers
(millions)
9891Bad BunnyDoja CatOctober 4, 2025 (2025-10-04)4.41[22]

9902Amy PoehlerRole ModelOctober 11, 2025 (2025-10-11)4.07[24]

9913Sabrina CarpenterSabrina CarpenterOctober 18, 2025 (2025-10-18)4.24[28]

  • Sabrina Carpenter performs "Manchild" and "Nobody's Son".
    • Kenan Thompson introduces Carpenter's first performance, with Chloe Fineman introducing the second.
    • During "Nobody's Son", Carpenter swore twice, which aired uncensored on the East Coast live broadcast. It was censored in the form of audio dropouts for the West Coast broadcast, post-broadcast distribution online,[25] as well as in airings internationally.
  • Writers Martin Herlihy and Jo Sunday appear in the pre-recorded "Social Experiment" sketch.
  • Bowen Yang was absent from live sketches this episode due to accepting the Academy Museum's Vantage Award in Los Angeles; Yang helped write the episode, was credited in the opening montage, and appears in the pre-recorded "Grind Song" sketch and in a photograph during the opening monologue.[26]
  • Due to the USC v. Notre Dame football game running overtime, this episode's start was delayed by 13 minutes.[27]
9924Miles TellerBrandi CarlileNovember 1, 2025 (2025-11-01)3.36[29]

9935Nikki GlasersombrNovember 8, 2025 (2025-11-08)4.02[30]

9946Glen PowellOlivia DeanNovember 15, 2025 (2025-11-15)4.17[31]

  • Olivia Dean performs "Man I Need" and "Let Alone the One You Love".
  • Will Forte appears in the pre-recorded MacGruber sketches and in the goodnights.
9957Melissa McCarthyDijonDecember 6, 2025 (2025-12-06)4.30[34]

9968Josh O'ConnorLily AllenDecember 13, 2025 (2025-12-13)3.95[35]

  • Lily Allen performs "Sleepwalking" and "Madeline" and appears in the "Lily Allen Brunch" sketch.
  • Dakota Johnson appears during Allen's second performance.
9979Ariana GrandeCherDecember 20, 2025 (2025-12-20)5.40[39]

99810Finn WolfhardA$AP RockyJanuary 17, 2026 (2026-01-17)4.14[40]

99911Teyana TaylorGeeseJanuary 24, 2026 (2026-01-24)4.44[41]

1,00012Alexander SkarsgårdCardi BJanuary 31, 2026 (2026-01-31)4.82[42]

  • Cardi B performs "Bodega Baddie" (with El Prodigio) and "ErrTime" and appears in the "Immigrant Dad Talk Show" sketch.
  • Pete Davidson appears as Tom Homan in the cold open.
  • Skarsgård's father, Stellan, appears in the "Scandinavian Movie 2" sketch and the "Immigrant Dad Talk Show" sketch.
  • Jack McBrayer appears on Weekend Update.
  • Before the goodnights, a classic SNL bumper containing a photo of Catherine O'Hara, who hosted the show during seasons 16 and 18, and who died the previous day, is shown in silence.
  • Kam Patterson is credited in the opening montage but did not appear in this episode, although he appears on stage during the goodnights.
1,00113Connor StorrieMumford & SonsFebruary 28, 2026 (2026-02-28)4.61[45]

1,00214Ryan GoslingGorillazMarch 7, 2026 (2026-03-07)4.34[46]

1,00315Harry StylesHarry StylesMarch 14, 2026 (2026-03-14)4.79[47]

  • Harry Styles performs "Dance No More" and "Coming Up Roses".
  • Kenan Thompson reprises his Jean K. Jean character for the first time since 2013 during the "Sparkle on the Sea" sketch.
1,00416Jack BlackJack WhiteApril 4, 2026 (2026-04-04)TBD

  • Confirmed on air.

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of Saturday Night Live season 51
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 Ref.
1 "Bad Bunny / Doja Cat" October 4, 2025 0.83 4.634 [22][48]
2 "Amy Poehler / Role Model" October 11, 2025 0.66 4.369 [24][48]
3 "Sabrina Carpenter" October 18, 2025 0.69 4.365 [28][48]
4 "Miles Teller / Brandi Carlile" November 1, 2025 0.44 3.496 [29][48]
5 "Nikki Glaser / sombr" November 8, 2025 0.54 4.023 [30][48]
6 "Glen Powell / Olivia Dean" November 15, 2025 0.59 4.165 [31][48]
7 "Melissa McCarthy / Dijon" December 6, 2025 0.55 4.304 [34][48]
8 "Josh O'Connor / Lily Allen" December 13, 2025 0.52 3.949 [35][48]
9 "Ariana Grande / Cher" December 20, 2025 0.90 5.404 [39][48]
10 "Finn Wolfhard / A$AP Rocky" January 17, 2026 0.63 4.140 [40][48]
11 "Teyana Taylor / Geese" January 24, 2026 0.51 4.437 [41][48]
12 "Alexander Skarsgård / Cardi B" January 31, 2026 0.70 4.820 [42][48]
13 "Connor Storrie / Mumford & Sons" February 28, 2026 0.76 4.611 [45][48]
14 "Ryan Gosling / Gorillaz" March 7, 2026 0.60 4.342 [46][48]
15 "Harry Styles" March 14, 2026 TBD 4.792 [47]

References

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  2. ^ "Listings – May 16, 2026". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 1, 2026. saturday night live: original (#5120) [51st season finale]
  3. ^ Riccardo, Nick (May 30, 2025). "SNL to Hit Another Milestone in 2026: Its 1,000th Episode". LateNighter. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  4. ^ "SNL's 1000th Episode Airs This January! About the Milestone and Who's Hosting". January 14, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  5. ^ Belloni, Matthew (August 22, 2025). "Lorne Michaels Speaks! Colbert, Trump, SNL50 Secrets, and the New Season". Puck. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  6. ^ https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/snl-star-heidi-gardner-finally-admits-she-was-cut-from-the-cast/
  7. ^ Nemetz, Dave (August 25, 2025). "SNL Cast Member Devon Walker Announces Exit After 3 Seasons: 'Sometimes It Was Toxic As Hell'". TVLine. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  8. ^ Swift, Andy (August 27, 2025). "Emil Wakim Not Returning to SNL for Season 51: 'It Was a Gut Punch of a Call to Get'". TVLine. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  9. ^ Nemetz, Dave (August 28, 2025). "SNL Cuts Another Cast Member: Michael Longfellow Out After 3 Seasons". TVLine. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
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  18. ^ Rosenzweig, Jed (September 4, 2025). "Writer Steven Castillo Departs SNL Ahead of Season 51". LateNighter. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
  19. ^ Ethan Shanfeld (September 30, 2025). "SNL Hires 7 New Writers for Season 51 (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  20. ^ Nellie Andreeva (October 5, 2025). "SNL Season 51 Premiere Reveals Promotions For Erin Doyle & Erik Kenward; Bryan Tucker On Leave". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
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  25. ^ Glenn Garner (October 19, 2025). "Saturday Night Live Lets Sabrina Carpenter's F-Bombs Air During 'Nobody's Son' Performance". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
  26. ^ Jack Dunn (October 18, 2025). "Bowen Yang Reveals Absence From Saturday Night Live: 'Missing the Show Tonight'". Variety. Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  27. ^ "We're starting a little late due to college football. We'll be live at 11:42!". X.com. October 18, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
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  29. ^ a b Rosenzweig, Jed (November 5, 2025). "Ratings: SNL Hits Historic Low Opposite Extra-Innings World Series Finale". LateNighter. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  30. ^ a b Rosenzweig, Jed (November 12, 2025). "SNL Recovers From World Series Slump With Modest Ratings Bump". LateNighter. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  31. ^ a b Rosenzweig, Jed (November 19, 2025). "SNL Ratings Tick Up With Glen Powell and Olivia Dean". LateNighter. Retrieved November 22, 2025.
  32. ^ Jones, Abby (December 7, 2025). "Dijon Makes 'SNL' Debut With Huge Band Including Justin Vernon, Nick Hakim, & Amber Coffman". stereogum.com.
  33. ^ Mike Barnes (December 2, 2025). "Craig Kellem, Producer on Saturday Night Live and The Munsters Today, Dies at 82". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
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  36. ^ Andy Hoglund (December 21, 2025). "Saturday Night Live recap: Ariana Grande and Cher lend their diva power to year-end episode". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
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  40. ^ a b Rosenzweig, Jed (January 21, 2026). "SNL Ratings Slip for Finn Wolfhard–Hosted Episode". LateNighter. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  41. ^ a b Rosenzweig, Jed (January 28, 2026). "Ratings: Teyana Taylor-Hosted SNL Sees Mixed Results". LateNighter. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  42. ^ a b Rosenzweig, Jed (February 3, 2026). "Alexander Skarsgård Gives SNL a Ratings Boost". LateNighter. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
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  46. ^ a b Rosenzweig, Jed (March 11, 2026). "SNL Ratings: Ryan Gosling's Return Lands Mid-Pack for the Season". LateNighter. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  47. ^ a b Rosenzweig, Jed (March 17, 2026). "Ratings: Harry Styles Lifts SNL to Season's Third-Biggest Audience". LateNighter. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
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