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Live from New York, it’s Saturday night! Season 48 of Saturday Night Live premiered on Oct. 1, and showrunner Lorne Michaels has yet to disappoint with his choice of show hosts and musical guests. This week, Abbott Elementary star Quinta Brunson is set to make her debut on the show alongside rapper Lil Yachty on the April 1 episode.
Actor Pedro Pascal hosted SNL on Feb. 4, alongside musical guest Coldplay who has performed seven times! Pedro is one of the hottest actors on the Hollywood scene as he stars in two huge TV series: The Mandalorian and The Last of Us. The latter, an adaptation of a popular video game, debuted on HBO in January and is a ratings juggernaut for the cable network. Meanwhile, Chris Martin and his band Coldplay will be performing over the Grammy weekend, which is fitting for the superstar group, who was nominated three times for the 2023 ceremony.
To kick off this season, Top Gun: Maverick actor Miles Teller, 35, hosted the Oct. 1 episode with Kendrick Lamar as the musical guest. “It’s really exciting. You’re working with the absolute best of the best, so you feel well taken care of, but it is, it’s a lot. It’s a whirlwind,” Miles told NBC4 ahead of his big debut.
This season of SNL comes after a handful of cast members announced their departures from the show. Cast members Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, and featured player Aristotle Athari exited after Season 47, along with Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, and Pete Davidson. Chris Redd also confirmed to PEOPLE that he was saying goodbye to the show on Sept. 20.
Learn more about the next Season 48 show below.
Quinta Brunson Making ‘SNL’ Debut
Quinta has become a household name after getting major buzz for her role on ABC’s hit series Abbott Elementary, which she also created. The mockumentary sitcom follows Brunson’s character Janine Teagues, who is a second grade teacher at the primarily Black school that’s underfunded. The series was critically acclaimed early on, winning three Emmys and getting seven nominations after season one.
Quinta took to Instagram to share the news of her hosting gig two weeks ago, simply writing the “#SNL.”
She also appeared in a promo leading up to the episode with new cast member Sarah Sherman and Yachty himself. Though she was the guest host this week, Quinta attempted to calm Sarah down as she filmed her first ever promo for the sketch series. “And this is Sarah’s first promo…you okay Sarah?” Quinta asked, as Sarah nervously said, “She’s never done this before” and then hilariously read Quinta’s line!
The Musical Guest For The Episode Is Lily Yachty
Lil Yachty — née Miles Parks McCollum — will make his SNL debut alongside Quinta! The rapper and singer rose to prominence in 2015 with singles “Minnesota” feat. Young Thug and Quavo, as well as “One Night.”
He also appeared in promos with Quinta and Sarah, who made the admission that she hasn’t “paid my taxes — like ever.” Yachty’s reply? That she’d likely be going to jail — yikes!
What Time Is ‘SNL’ On?
Saturday Night Live airs at 11:35 p.m. PST/EST and 9:30 p.m. MT on local NBC affiliates. The series can also be streamed live on the Peacock app.
‘SNL’ Cast Members This Season
Saturday Night Live has a number of new cast members joining the show this season, including Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker.
Michael Che and Colin Jost remain in their roles as “Weekend Update” hosts, which they took over in 2014 from Seth Meyers and Cecily Strong. Other returning cast members include Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, and Heidi Gardner. Rounding out the returning list is Sarah Sherman, Ego Nwodim, Chloe Fineman, Mikey Day, and Punkie Johnson.
As mentioned above, Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, featured player Aristotle Athari, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, Pete Davidson, and Chris Redd departed the show ahead of Season 48. Many of these cast members announced their exit in May with some not revealing the news until Sept. 1.
Chris announced the news of his exit from SNL on Sept. 20 with a statement to PEOPLE. “Being a part of SNL has been the experience of a lifetime. Five years ago, I walked into 30 Rock knowing that this was an amazing opportunity for growth,” Chris said. “Now, with friends who have become family and memories I will cherish forever, I’m grateful to Cassie Gill Lorne Michaels and to the entire SNL organization. From the bottom of my heart, I can’t thank you all enough.”
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