Shane Gillis hosted Saturday Night Live on 11 October 2026, seven years after getting let go from the cast in 2019. His opening monologue drew immediate criticism from viewers who called jokes about women demeaning toward women. Critics at Variety and Vulture described the monologue as a bomb.
A Dr. Seuss-inspired sketch during the episode included a not-safe-to-air slip, and Gillis later issued an apology. The Guardian reported the show extended what it called a run of underwhelming episodes for the season.