Ariana Grande Hosts ‘SNL’ For The First Time Since The Last Presidential Election

Ariana Grande was back on Saturday Night Live (SNL) this past Saturday night! This was her third time hosting the show at the famous 30 Rock stage in New York City. Ariana is not only a great singer but also a funny actor.

In her opening speech, Ariana remembered her last time on SNL in 2016. She joked about how, back then, people were excited about possibly electing the first woman president. She said, “So, I guess, second time’s the charm?” Everyone laughed at her joke.

This time, Ariana was not the musical guest. Instead, the amazing singer Stevie Nicks performed. Before the show, Ariana promised she wouldn’t sing. But then she broke her promise and sang a bit, making the audience giggle.

Ariana also joked that she wouldn’t do her funny impressions of other singers, like Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, and Gwen Stefani. But, of course, she couldn’t help herself. She did quick impressions of all three during her speech. Later in the show, she had a longer sketch where she pretended to be Celine Dion.

Ariana hosted SNL to get everyone excited about her new movie, Wicked. This movie is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz and comes out next month. Ariana shared that being the good witch Glinda is a dream come true for her. She said it’s like a special wish for any kid who loves theater.

Ariana’s SNL episode came at a great time! The show has been getting a lot more viewers, especially since it’s celebrating its 50th season. Last month’s premiere had the most viewers since 2020!

In the cold open, Maya Rudolph played Vice President Kamala Harris. She was joined by former cast members, like Andy Samberg and Dana Carvey. They acted in a funny sketch based on Family Feud, with Kamala Harris and her team facing off against team Trump.

[Image: Saturday Night Live]

Kenan Thompson, who has been on SNL the longest, came back to host Family Feud. Maya Rudolph joked about how busy she had been. She said, “It’s been a hell of a week.” She talked about visiting different shows to reach out to many people.

James Austin Johnson returned to play Donald Trump. He made everyone laugh by saying his opponent was not very good at the game.

Stevie Nicks was the musical guest on SNL for the first time in over 40 years! She started her performance with her new song, “The Lighthouse.” Her outfit was classic Stevie, with lots of rings and scarves. She also sang her hit song, “Edge of Seventeen,” from 1981.

Next week, Michael Keaton will host SNL with Billie Eilish as the musical guest. The week after that, John Mulaney and Chappell Roan will take the stage.

As SNL celebrates its 50th season, many people are looking back at its history. A special movie called Saturday Night is coming out soon. It will show what happened just before the very first episode aired on October 11, 1975. There will also be a big three-hour special on February 16 to celebrate this amazing milestone!