Kate McKinnon To Host ‘SNL’ for the First Time After Carrying the Show for Years

Saturday Night Live alumn Kate McKinnon will return to host the last episode of 2023.

Kate McKinnon started on NBC’s Saturday Night Live in 2012 and remained on the show until 2022. Over the years, McKinnon’s characters stood out. Her alien abduction character, Colleen Rafferty, was one that continuously broke her scene partners. Also, anything she did with SNL co-star Aidy Bryant, who also left the show in 2022, was nothing short of brilliant. Those two were meant to create jokes together. I know I’m not the only one wanting a full series of just the McKinnon and Bryant doing unhinged things.

Check out one of the infamous Colleen Rafferty sketches when aliens abducted Colleen alongside her friends, played by SNL co-star Cecily Strong and guest host Ryan Gosling:

When it came to celebrity or political impressions, McKinnon knocked everyone out of the park. She played kind of obvious choices, like Hillary Clinton to Alec Baldwin’s Trump during the 2016 election. I only understood Justin Bieber having any sex appeal after McKinnon played the pop singer. (That says more about me than it does Bieber.)

McKinnon also played some unexpected roles. Who knew she would play elderly, southern right-wing men so well? McKinnon did a hilarious job playing former Senator Lindsey Graham and disgraced lawyer Rudy Guiliani. I will never be able to forget her wild take on former Senator Jeff Sessions, which made him more related to possums than humans.

McKinnon was a core part of what made many years of SNL amazing. When she left, McKinnon took so much of the recent magic with her. Now that she has conquered the world as Weird Barbie in the record-breaking summer hit, Barbie, McKinnon’s returning to the SNL stage to host the December 16 episode. Keeping with the Barbie theme, the musical guest will be Billie Eilish. Tune in to NBC or Peacock at 11:30 pm EST/PST to check out the episode.

(featured image: NBC)