Watch Weekend Update with Colin Jost and Michael Che from SNL Season 50
Mikey Day joined the update desk as the never-before-seen "Lord Gaga," the pop star's secret husband.
Since Saturday Night Live's debut in 1975 with original cast member Chevy Chase behind the desk, "Weekend Update" has offered hilarious, laser-accurate takes on the news (almost) every season. And 2024 marks a decade of Colin Jost and Michael Che in their role as co-anchors, skewering political news, absurd headline-making stories, and whatever makes it into their semi-annual Joke Swaps.
Watch the latest "Weekend Update" from Season 50 below.
Mikey Day is "Lord Gaga" on March 8's "Weekend Update"
On the March 8 "Weekend Update," Jost and Che opened by acknowledging Daylight Savings Time, which stole an hour of Americans' sleep just after the broadcast. It's "when we set our clocks ahead... ideally, four years," Jost joked.
The co-anchors also mocked the latest political news, including Trump's trade clash with Canada and the shifting directives from his administration. "After imposing tariffs on Mexico and Canada on Tuesday, President Trump reversed them on Thursday. It's a cunning political tactic experts call 'bipolar disorder'," Che said.
Weekend Update: Heterosexual Man Sues Starbucks for Discrimination, Scientists Create "Woolly Mouse"
Meanwhile, Mikey Day stopped by as Lord Gaga, the secret husband of March 8 Host Lady Gaga — a 19th-century aristocrat who seemingly has no idea how famous his wife is.
Lord Gaga on his unwavering support for his wife Lady Gaga
And Kenan Thompson brought a fresh sports take to the desk as NBA champion and ESPN commentator Kendrick Perkins.
Kendrick Perkins on the 2025 NBA Playoffs
Watch "Weekend Update" from March 1, 2025
Shane Gillis's episode brought the first "Weekend Update" since January (not counting the SNL: The Anniversary Special edition!). Like the cold open featuring Mike Myers, it skewered President Trump and JD Vance's controversial meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"Trump repeatedly scolded Zelenskyy, telling him, 'you have real problems,'" Jost joked. "Yeah, man! He's in a war. No one's asking to borrow missiles so they can take the party to the next level."
Jane Wickline solves "the Trolley Problem" in a new original song
Under the guise of sharing "dating advice," new cast member Jane Wickline brought a new original song to the "Update" desk. Except the song, "I Choose You," addresses one very specific and purely hypothetic challenge: How to solve "the trolley problem," or the philosophical question of whether it's ethical to kill one person with the flip of a switch in order to save five other people.
"What trolley? This is an imaginary scenario," Jost told Wickline as she agonized over the dilemma. "This is never going to happen to you."
"But what if she lives in San Francisco? It's riddled with trolleys!" Wickline shot back.
Meanwhile, Marcello Hernández's Movie Guy made 2025 Oscar predictions. He's a huge fan of films — or, of saying their titles, anyway, as he hasn't seen most of the Best Picture nominees.
"Weekend Update," January 25, 2025: Andrew Dismukes' puppet dad
"Well guys, I was never really doing dry January, but this week I stopped even pretending," Jost announced at the top of the January 25 broadcast, kicking off a run of jokes about Donald Trump's January 20 inauguration. "During his address, President Trump said he was changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America," Jost continued, noting the guffaws from the audience. "And, like you, Hillary Clinton could be seen in the background laughing while he said it."
Che and Jost also offered their take on the 2025 Academy Award nominations, eggs' current 35 percent price increase, and a study that found eating oatmeal can lead to a longer life.
"NO," Jost shouted, in reaction to the idea.
Meanwhile, Ego Nwodim joined the desk as Giselle, a Concerned Businesswoman, who had a hairy warning for those who may be impacted by Trump's proposed tariffs: Women who purchase real human hair from overseas.
Andrew Dismukes stopped by with his father — well, a puppet version of his father, who offered several emotional pep talks in a hilariously surreal bit.
"Weekend Update": January 18, 2025
Donald Trump's inauguration and inaugural portrait. "And the photo is lit — I assume — by hell opening up," Jost joked of the president-elect's unhappy face in the picture. "Trump is trying to look so hardcore in this photo, I'm surprised he didn't add a parental advisory sticker and a Durag."
The first "Weekend Update" of 2025 welcomed two guests to the desk: Cast member Michael Longfellow mourning social media app TikTok's (apparently temporary) unavailability in the U.S., and Sarah Sherman as The Original Nosferatu.
"So we're just banning things because they're from China now? Well, you know who else was from China?" Longfellow said in his pro-TikTok rant, pointing up at the sky. "That's right: Jesus Christ."
"Jesus was not Chinese, man," Che corrected him.
"I thought he was Middle Eastern, but I saw it on a TikTok," Longfellow insisted, before sharing he'd recently been diagnosed with ADHD (through a user quiz on TikTok).
Like so many of Sarah Sherman's "Weekend Update" creatures, her long-fingered Original Nosferatu took "his" visit as an opportunity to torment Jost.
Watch the December 21 "Weekend Update"
During Martin Short's Christmas episode, Bowen Yang was the last "Weekend Update" guest of 2024 — appearing as one of the mysterious drones that have puzzled onlookers in several states, including New Jersey.
"You know what? Here's what I think is going on. I'm the receptacle for everyone's anxiety and agita about everything," Yang said as the drone. "For what be a drone, but a mirror to society? And potentially a killing machine?"
RELATED: Melissa McCarthy Shut Down Martin Short's SNL Sketch with This Hysterical Cameo
Jost and Che closed out the broadcast with the annual Christmas joke swap — complete with a second camera monitoring Jost's wife Scarlett Johansson's reactions.
Watch the December 14 "Weekend Update" with Andrew Dismukes & Jane Wickline
Jokes about the nationwide drone mystery, TIME's pick for Person of the Year, and the public response to suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione led the broadcast for Chris Rock's episode.
Andrew Dismukes stopped by as A Bald Man on a UK Court Harassment Ruling — showing off a few bald guy party tricks and lotioning up his pate.
Finally, Jane Wickline closed things out with a new original song from the imagined POV of Sabrina Carpenter:
RELATED: Watch Chris Rock's SNL Monologue and Sketches from December 14, 2024
Watch the December 7 "Weekend Update"
In the "Weekend Update" from Paul Mescal's December 7 episode, Colin Jost and Michael Che joked about the news of the week, including the multiple controversies surrounding Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's Defense Secretary nominee, and the theme of the White House 2024 Christmas decorations.
"It's 'a Season of Peace and Light,' which is tough because Biden is always being told not to go towards the light," Jost joked.
Meanwhile, Marcello Hernández and Heidi Gardner stopped by as a sincere young football player and A Mom Whose Son Just Got Famous.
RELATED: Dana Carvey's Church Lady Is Back in SNL's Cold Open with David Spade
Watch the November 16 "Weekend Update"
It's always fun when Sarah Sherman finds a new way to needle Colin Jost — the latest being her November 16 turn as news-making illegal pet Peanut the Squirrel's widow.
It was a big week for animal-centric characters on "Update," as Bowen Yang (who kicked off the season as Moo Deng the baby hippo, in keeping with this theme) paid a visit as Tiger King's Joe Exotic.
RELATED: Watch Bill Burr's SNL Monologue and Sketches from November 9, 2024
Watch the November 9 "Weekend Update"
Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election led the November 9 "Weekend Update."
"Well, on Tuesday we learned that Democrats actually don't know how to rig an election," Colin Jost joked.
Michael Che's optimistic neighbor Willie (Kenan Thompson) made his return to discuss the election results, while Ego Nwodim paid a visit as Woman Who Can't Find Something in Her Purse on How to be an Active Listener.
Watch the November 2 "Weekend Update"
Unsurprisingly, the final "Weekend Update" before the 2024 presidential matchup between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris included plenty of election-related jokes. "Well, next week the American people will decide if the next president will be Kamala Harris, or if everyone at SNL will get audited," Jost declared at the top of the segment.
RELATED: Surprise! Kamala Harris and Maya Rudolph Teamed Up for SNL's Cold Open
Jost and Che also poked fun at a viral photo of Joe Biden pretending to bite a baby dressed like a chicken for Halloween, adding that "moments later, [Biden's fractious dog] Commander finished the job."
"A comedian at Trump's rally referred to Puerto Rico as a floating island of garbage. And I take offense to that, as someone who proudly grew up on an actual island of garbage," Jost joked of his native Staten Island, before showing a photo of the ferry he bought with Pete Davidson. "I'm just kidding — I don't want to offend anyone back home. But just in case, I bought the only way they can get off the island and come find me."
Heidi Gardner unveiled a wild impression of The Voice Coach and Happy's Place star Reba McEntire, while Marcello Hernández and new Season 50 cast member Jane Wickline paid a visit as Grant and Melissa, a classic Couple You Can't Believe Are Together.
"From Lana Del Rey marrying an alligator guide to Bella Hadid dating a cowboy, I can't help but notice there are some pretty unlikely couples popping up these days," Jost said before introducing the wildly mismatched-seeming lovebirds (rooting for them!).
Watch the October 19 "Weekend Update"
Trump's Oaks, Pennsylvania town hall, which turned into what NBC News described as a "surreal listening party" as music played for almost 40 minutes, was the top story during the October 19 segment, before they turned things over to several guests.
Sarah Sherman returned to the "Update" desk to give the audience a taste of what you'd experience at her Sarah Squirm stage shows, in a diatribe against the Victoria Secret fashion show's lack of "normal" models (which ended in an unabashed plea to be cast as a model).
RELATED: Maya Rudolph and Alec Baldwin Faced Off in SNL's Fox News Interview Cold Open
New cast member Emil Wakim made his "Update" debut with a stand-up-style segment on what it feels like to be a Lebanese American with family in the middle eastern country amid Israel's deepening military conflict with the Hezbollah party.
And in a cut-for-time segment, Marcello Hernández and Michael Longfellow stopped to share how they accidentally dressed as convicted killers the Menendez brothers for Halloween — and illustrate how a few other costumes could be misconstrued.
Two Guys Dressed as Doctors Share Last-Second Halloween Ideas
Watch Micheal Keaton's SNL Monologue & Sketches from October 19
Watch "Weekend Update" from October 12, 2024
The October 12 edition of "Weekend Update" welcomed two guests to the desk: the wild-eyed Monica, a Happy Amazon Employee on Prime Day (Ego Nwodim), and quarreling Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher (James Austin Johnson and Sarah Sherman). The latter spoke to Colin Jost about their reunion tour, and whether they'd make it to the actual dates without breaking up again.
RELATED: Watch Ariana Grande's SNL Monologue and Sketches from October 12
"I really need your tour to work out, okay?" Jost told them, breaking into laughter as he dutifully read the cue cards. "'Cause I already bought tickets, and I'm about to mosh out so hard that I win White Boy of the Year award."
With three weeks to go, the 2024 presidential campaign was a main topic of Jost and Che's jokes, as they reported on Trump's upcoming Fox News town hall and Kamala Harris's fundraising numbers.
"It was also reported that during the first three months of her campaign, Kamala Harris raised over $1 billion dollars," Jost said, "Which I hope is finally enough money for her to stop texting me."
Watch "Weekend Update" from October 5, 2024
On the October 5 "Weekend Update," new cast member Jane Wickline made her "Update" desk debut with a song about being the worst party guest ever: "I am the plus-one of someone who has left."
RELATED: Watch Nate Bargatze's SNL Monologue and Sketches from October 5
Jost and Che made plenty of jokes about the upcoming presidential election. "Just think, in only 30 days, this whole nightmare will be nowhere close to over," Jost joked.
As with the cold open co-starring Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, Dana Carvey, and Jim Gaffigan, the October 1 matchup between VP candidates Tim Walz and J.D. Vance was also a focus, or as Jost put it, "the vice presidential debate between Mumford & Dad."
Watch "Weekend Update" from September 28, 2024
Jost opened "Weekend Update" with a very recent update, sharing a clip from Donald Trump's Wisconsin rally that same day.
"Well, it is our first show of the season. And there were so many insane political stories this summer, everyone kept asking, 'are you so bummed you aren't on the air right now?' And I was like, 'I have a feeling there's going to be more that happens when we get back," Jost began.
RELATED: Watch Jean Smart's SNL Monologue & Every Sketch from September 28
"For example, two hours ago at a rally, Donald Trump called Kamala Harris, quote, 'a mentally-disabled person' just straight up," Jost continued, joking, "which is amazing: I cannot believe that Trump admitted he lost the debate to a mentally disabled person."
He then showed an actual clip from the rally, in which Trump told his crowd, "Look, I could have been sunbathing on the beach. You have never seen a body so beautiful. Much better, much better than Sleepy Joe."
RELATED: Maya Rudolph and Dana Carvey Were Kamala Harris and Joe Biden in SNL's Cold Open
Following Che's jokes about the criminal allegations against New York City mayor Eric Adams ("After Adams was charged, he said, 'we are not surprised; we expected this. You know, because of all the briberies'") and other news of the week like Hoda Kotb's departure from TODAY, the anchors invited their "Update" guests on.
Bowen Yang's Moo Deng visits "Weekend Update"
The first "Weekend Update" of Season 50 welcomed two first-time guests to the desk: Thailand's internet-beloved baby hippo Moo Deng (played by Bowen Yang in an adorably thicc suit), and newly-indicted New York City mayor Eric Adams (Devon Walker).
The It Girl of the moment — baby hippopotamus Moo Deng — was parodied by cast member Yang. He drew a parallel between what he portrayed as the animal's overexposure and pop star Chappell Roan's recent withdrawal from the spotlight, following an excess of attention on her political views as well as what she's described as harassment and stalking from fans.
"And by the way, leave her alone," Yang's Moo Deng said of Roan. "Let her take as much time as she needs for her mental health. We both deserve patience and grace, so stop harassing her and stop throwing shellfish at her!"
"Yeah, I don't think she has that problem," said Jost.
"It's a matter of time, Colin!" Moo Deng replied.
Watch Saturday Night Live on NBC and Peacock, streaming next-day on Peacock.
Originally published Sep 29, 2024.
