Shane Gillis apologized after an awkward SNL opening monologue and a surprise F-bomb left the cast and live audience visibly stunned.
The 38-year-old comedian hosted the latest episode but accidentally swore during a Dr. Seuss-inspired sketch alongside Mikey Day and Andrew Dismukes.
And at the end of the show, Gillis gave a shout out to music guest Rosalia before adding, ‘And sorry about earlier. Thank you guys very much. I had a good time.’
In the sketch, Gillis played the son of Day’s Cat in the Hat, who confronted Dismukes’ Sam I Am over his insistence that his father eat green eggs and ham.
“Hey, what the hell is wrong with you? My dad said he doesn’t like green eggs and ham. Drop it. Walk away,” Gillis said.
He continued, “Bro, it’s a non-starter. He said he doesn’t f***ing-” before abruptly stopping and throwing his hands into the air.
Shane Gillis, 38, apologized after an awkward SNL opening monologue and a surprise F-bomb left the cast and live audience stunned
The comedian hosted the latest episode but accidentally swore during a Dr. Seuss sketch with Mikey Day and Andrew Dismukes
“Jeez!” Gillis exclaimed as some audience members responded with quiet gasps after the slip.
As the crowd began laughing, Gillis glanced at Dismukes, who placed an encouraging hand on his back and urged him to continue.
After shaking his head and letting out a breathy laugh, Gillis resumed the sketch, saying, “He said I don’t like green eggs and ham.”
Day later referenced the mistake in the sketch, declaring, “Zachary’s the one who’s going. I want you out of this house. You’re a loser, and you said a bad word!”
“Yes, I did,” Gillis replied, playing along with Day’s improvised line.
While the expletive was not censored during the initial live broadcast, the word was muted later on when the sketch was shared to SNL’s X account.
According to FCC guidelines, “it is a violation of federal law to air obscene programming at any time.”
The agency also states that “it is a violation of federal law to broadcast indecent or profane programming during certain hours.” Networks and stations could potentially face fines or other penalties for failing to comply with those rules.
At the end of the show, Gillis gave a shout-out to music guest Rosalia before saying, “And sorry about earlier. Thank you guys very much. I had a good time”
Gillis glanced at Dismukes as the audience laughed, while Dismukes placed an encouraging hand on the actor’s back to help him continue
Day later returned to the F-bomb during the sketch, saying, “Zachary’s the one who’s going. I want you out of this house. You’re a loser, and you said a bad word!”
Other celebrities who have accidentally used the F-word during appearances on the sketch comedy series include Paul Shaffer, Jenny Slate, Kristen Stewart and Sam Rockwell.
Gillis opened the show with a seven-minute monologue.
At one point, the comedian said, “I’ll tell you one thing that I’m really bothered by is I’ve balded directly into an Adolf Hitler haircut.”
While some audience members let out gasps of surprise at the joke, others let out laughs.
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‘And it’s not good,’ he continued. ‘Because I give a lot of speeches and the front falls down a lot, and there’s no way to adjust it without looking exactly like [Hitler].
‘It’s the only way. I’m not going to do that,’ Gillis said while pretending to brush his hair to the side.
‘That’s gay. That’s it: You’re either gay or you’re Hitler, and isn’t that where we’re at as a country?’
The comedian also joked about how he needs to go to the gym to help him in losing weight.
At one point, the star said, ‘I’ll tell you thing that I’m really bothered by is I’ve balded directly into an Adolf Hitler haircut’
‘Also, I haven’t been to the gym in so long I didn’t know women just dress like w****s now?’
The joke caused some guests in the crowd to gasp, while scattered laughs were also heard.
‘Look, I’m sorry, there’s no other way to describe [it]. Have you seen it? I’ve seen it. You’ve seen the shorts?’
Gillis continued, ‘They’re those neon, like, artificial vape-colored [shorts], and the wrinkles go around the cheeks and all combine at the butthole. And don’t look! You’re not allowed to look.
‘For real, don’t look, because they are filming. I’m in the background of ten TikToks right now.’
The opening monologue also included Gillis recalling a failed hiking experience and how he also uses Joe Rogan’s sauna, which got a few cackles from the audience.
Gillis has previously hosted Saturday Night Live back in 2024 and 2025, after he was fired from the show in 2019.
The comedian had been cut from SNL as a cast member in 2019 after past videos emerged that showed him making racist and homophobic comments; seen in May
Gillis also spoke out and said it ‘feels ridiculous for comedians to be making serious public statements,’ but expressed that he ‘respected the decision they made’; seen hosting SNL in 2024
SNL creator Lorne Michaels later said that he had been forced to let Gillis go during an interview with the Wall Street Journal; seen in 2025 in Hollywood
The comedian had been cut from the series after past videos emerged that showed him making racist and homophobic comments.
At the time, SNL released a statement condemning his ‘offensive, hurtful and unacceptable’ remarks while also apologizing for their ‘vetting process.’
Gillis also spoke out and said it ‘feels ridiculous for comedians to be making serious public statements,’ but expressed that he ‘respected the decision they made.’
He addressed being let go from SNL when he hosted for the first time in 2024.
‘Most of you probably have no idea who I am,’ he said during his monologue at the time, while adding, ‘I was actually – I was fired from this show. Awhile 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.’
SNL creator Lorne Michaels later said that he had been forced to let Gillis go during an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
‘That was very strong from the people in charge. And obviously I was not on that side, but I understood it.’