SNL Season 51, Episode 19: Will Ferrell

C+

EPISODE GRADE

B

MUSIC GRADE

The 20th Episode of Season 51 of Saturday Night Live aired on May 16, 2026. The host was Will Ferrell, and his musical guest was Paul McCartney.

Will Ferrell SNL Season 51 Cold Open

After a few weeks away from the Trump makeup and hair, James Austin Johnson returned as our idiotic president. In this sketch he’s visited by the Ghost of Jeffrey Epstein, played by Ferrell. It could be said that this was the most scathing, relentless attack on Trump by SNL in Season 51. We also saw Jeremy Culhane, Asley Padilla, Colin Jost, and Aziz Ansari, back again as FBI Director Kash Patel.

May 16, 2026

Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!

Delivered by Will Ferrell, James Austin Johnson

Episode Details

SNL Episode #1008
Air Date: May 16, 2026
Producer: Lorne Michaels
Head Writer: Kent Sublette, Alison Gates, Streeter Seidell
Host: Will Ferrell
Host Count: 6
Episode Rank for Season: 12