Shane Gillis Bombs SNL Monologue as He Addresses 2019 Firing: Thought I’d ‘Get a Bigger Laugh’
Comedian Shane Gillis took center stage as the host of Saturday Night Live (SNL) this weekend, and his opening monologue was charged with anticipation. The elephant in the room? His tumultuous exit from the show in 2019, just days after being hired as a cast member.
Gillis, now 36, didn’t shy away from addressing the past. “I’m here,” he declared, acknowledging that most viewers probably had no idea who he was. “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 Google that. It’s fine. Don’t even worry about it.”
As the nearly eight-minute opening continued, Gillis joked about his sister marrying an Arab man from Egypt and the couple adopting three Black children, saying that going over to their house is like “getting into the craziest Uber Pool you’ve ever been in.”
He then made some quips about a few of his family members having Down syndrome, saying that they are “doing better than everybody I know.”
He added that they “are the only ones having a pretty good time consistently.”
When Gillis mentioned that his niece had Down syndrome, the audience chuckled.
After taking a beat, Gillis awkwardly said, “[I] thought that was going to get a bigger laugh.”
“This place is extremely well-lit. I can see everyone not enjoying it,” he further said.
Shane Gillis Bombs SNL
Even some viewers at home weren’t impressed.
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One X user wrote, “Shane Gillis hosting SNL was so cringe that I changed the channel to watch the sag awards instead no joke,” while another added, “I absolutely need to hear Shane Gillis’ SNL monologue without the laugh tracks.”
Gillis was hired by “SNL” in 2019, but fired just five days later without even having gone on the air.
The backstory: Gillis faced backlash for using racial and homophobic slurs on a podcast, leading to his swift dismissal from SNL. His return to the iconic Studio 8H was met with curiosity and skepticism.
As the monologue unfolded, Gillis ventured into NSFW territory. He shared anecdotes about his family, including his sister marrying an Egyptian man and adopting three Black children. Describing visits to their house, he quipped, “It’s like getting into the craziest Uber Pool you’ve ever been in.” He also touched on family members with Down syndrome, humorously noting that they were “doing better than everybody I know” and “the only ones having a pretty good time consistently.”
However, not all jokes landed. When Gillis mentioned his niece with Down syndrome, the audience chuckled, but he awkwardly admitted, “[I] thought that was going to get a bigger laugh.” The well-lit SNL stage revealed faces that weren’t entirely amused.
Gillis’s firing from SNL occurred just five days after his initial hiring, without him even having appeared on air. In the lead-up to his return, rumors swirled that he would lean into his trademark Down syndrome humor. “He’s going all in,” insiders reported, hinting at Gillis’s unapologetic approach.
Since his SNL departure, Gillis has found success with two popular Netflix specials, “Live In Austin” and “Beautiful Dogs.” He’s also become a regular guest on Joe Rogan’s controversial podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
In the end, Gillis’s monologue was a mix of candor, discomfort, and a few genuine laughs. As the curtain fell, viewers were left pondering whether redemption was possible in the unforgiving spotlight of comedy.
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