Shane Gillis.Photo:Jamie McCarthy/Getty
Jamie McCarthy/Getty
Nearly five years after he was fired fromSaturday Night Live, Shane Gillis is set to return to the show — this time as a host.
The comedian and actor, 36, will make his debut on the comedy sketch series on Feb. 24, alongside musical guest21 Savage,SNLannounced on Saturday.
After it was announced that Gillis will serve as host later this month, users on X, formerly Twitter, reacted, with onewriting, “I’m so sorry but like… Shane Gillis?? Was literally every other entertainer on planet earth booked that week?? Did we try all the professional athletes???” as anotheradded, “Letting Shane Gillis host SNL is pathetic.”
A representative forSNLdid not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Just hours after Gillis was announced as a newSNLcast member alongsideChloe FinemanandBowen Yangin 2019, a clip of the comedian using an anti-Asian racial slur resurfaced on X,Varietyreported at the time.
In a clip from a now-deleted 2018 episode of Gillis’ podcast,Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast, the comedian told co-host Matt McCusker, “Chinatown’s f—— nuts,” later adding, “Let the f—— ch—- live there,” according toVariety.
After the immediate backlash that followed the resurfaced podcast clip, Gillisissued an apology, writing, “I’m a comedian who pushes boundaries. I sometimes miss. If you go through my 10 years of comedy, most of it bad, you’re going to find a lot of bad misses.”
The resurfaced clip also prompted a further look into the podcast, as well as Gillis’ other public works, which then revealed several other clips in which he used a mock Chinese accent, as well as gay and ableist slurs, perVariety.
Shane Gillis.Jamie McCarthy/Getty
Gillis was subsequently booted from the series before he could make his first appearance, and a spokesperson for Michaels issued a statement about his firing.
“After talking with Shane Gillis, we have decided that he will not be joiningSNL,” the rep said. “We wantSNLto have a variety of voices and points of view within the show, and we hired Shane on the strength of his talent as [a] comedian and his impressive audition forSNL.”
The statement continued, “We were not aware of his prior remarks that have surfaced over the past few days. The language he used is offensive, hurtful and unacceptable. We are sorry that we did not see these clips earlier, and that our vetting process was not up to our standard.”
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AfterSNLannounced that he was no longer a part of the cast, Gillisreleased a statement of his own on social mediain which he said that he respects the show’s decision to fire him.
“It feels ridiculous for comedians to be making serious public statements but here we are. I’m a comedian who was funny enough to getSNL. That can’t be taken away,” he said. “Of course I wanted an opportunity to prove myself atSNL, but I understand it would be too much of a distraction. I respect the decision they made. I’m honestly grateful for the opportunity. I was always a mad tv guy anyway.”
Recalling his firing in a 2022 episode of the podcastBussin' With The Boys, Gillis said that he made a “bad joke,” but clarified, “I’m not saying I shouldn’t have been fired. I’ve never denied that.”
source: people.com
