Saturday Night Live’s season 51 will continue in December with a pair of hosts, one appearing for the first time, and the other a favorite performer.
Fan favorite Ariana Grande will host SNL on December 20, for the show’s holiday program. It will mark the singer’s third hosting appearance. Grande hosted previously on March 12, 2016 in Season 41, and on October 12, 2024 in Season 50.
On December 13, actor Josh O’Connor will host Saturday Night Live. The British actor has three movies in 2025, including The History of Sound and Mastermind. He starred in Challengers in 2024.
The SNL lineup for December:
- Dec. 6: Melissa McCarthy and musical guest Dijon
- Dec. 13: Josh O’Connor and singer Lily Allen
- Dec. 20: Ariana Grande and musical guest Cher
McCarthy is returning for her sixth hosting gig, and first since Season 42. She is one of the few females to be in the Five-Timers Club, a group Grande seems likely to join one day.
Cher will team with Grande for what has the potential to be a superstar holiday program. The last time Cher was a musical guest on SNL was in Season 13 on November 21, 1987. The last time Cher was a headliner on the show, Ronald Reagan was president, Donald Trump was a real estate developer, and Phil Hartman was on the cast of Saturday Night Live. Heck, the last time Cher sang on the show, the U.S.S.R. still existed.
Famously, Cher appeared in the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert, last February. Her musical number was received with passionate praise from attendees, mostly consisting of former cast members, hosts, crew, celebrities, and super fans in NYC.
Grande’s big moments on SNL
Immensely talented as (of course) a singer and dancer, Grande proved she has the chops to handle SNL when she hosted for the first time in Season 41. For that episode, she also served as the musical guest.
In both of her appearances, Grande hasn’t been just charming, but also funny and a fantastic addition to the ensemble. Her best work has arguably come acting in pretape segments like this one called ?My Best Friend’s House,” from Season 50:
