Kenan Thompson Says Shane Gillis ‘SNL’ Monologue Backlash ‘Overshadowed’ the Episode and ‘We Would Have to Have a Real Chat’ If He Hosts Again

Kenan Thompson said the backlash to Shane Gillis’s “Saturday Night Live” monologue overshadowed the rest of the episode, including a strong performance by new cast member Grace Reiter and musical guest Rosalía. He said the joke about women dressing like “whores” at the gym raised a question of how the programme can allow creative freedom while being careful about harmful language.

Thompson said he does not decide whether Gillis will host again, but that a return would prompt a serious conversation about the joke and its effects on others. The monologue drew laughs in the studio but criticism online from figures including Dan Levy and former cast members Ego Nwodim and Cecily Strong; comedian Dana Carvey defended Gillis. Peter Micelli, Gillis’s representative and a media company executive, argued comedians need room to test boundaries, while a Gillis representative declined to comment.