Courtesy of NBC
Comedian Shane Gillis is back to host “SNL” after being fired from the cast in 2019 for making racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks.
During the February 24 episode, Gillis didn't shy away from the elephant in the room, briefly admitting to shooting it in his opening monologue.
“I'm here,” he said. “Most of you probably have no idea who I am. I was actually – I was fired from this show a while ago. But, you know, don't look that up, please. If you don't know who I am, please don't look that up in “Google it. It's okay. Don't even worry about it.”
Gillis was fired from the show just one week after it was announced that he was joining the SNL cast. A statement was released on behalf of longtime executive producer Lorne Michaels addressing the situation: “We want 'SNL' to have a diverse range of voices and viewpoints within the show, and we hired Shane on the strength of his talent as a comedic actor and his talent. An impressive audition for 'SNL.'” “We are aware of his previous statements that have surfaced over the past few days. The language he used is offensive, hurtful and unacceptable. We regret that we did not see these clips sooner, and that our vetting process was not up to our standards.”
Gillis also commented on his dismissal on social media: “It's ridiculous when comedians make serious public statements but here we are. I'm a comedian and it was funny enough to get on SNL. It can't be taken away. Of course I wanted to get A chance to prove myself on SNL, but I understand that would be too much of a distraction. I respect the decision they made. I'm honestly grateful for the opportunity. I've always been a TV nut [sic] The man anyway.”
Since his dismissal in 2019, Gillis has co-hosted the popular podcast “Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast” and had a comedy special on Netflix titled “Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs” that was released in 2023.
Watch Gillis' full opening monologue below.
. “Professional creator. Lifelong thinker. Reader. Beer buff. Troublemaker. Evil problem solver.”