Shane Gillis came back to Studio 8H for his third turn as host and left a little souvenir on the live broadcast: an uncensored F-bomb that sailed right past the censors during a Dr. Seuss parody. According to Deadline, Gillis apologized at the end of the sketch and again during the goodnights, and the cast simply rolled with it. The rest of the night brought a Pete Hegseth cold open, a Rosalía performance and a breakout showing from new featured player Grace Reiter.
The Green Eggs and Ham moment
The slip happened in a sketch riffing on “Green Eggs and Ham,” Deadline reported. Gillis played the defensive son of Mikey Day’s character, with Andrew Dismukes as Sam-I-Am doing the pestering.
Then the line got away from him. Per Deadline, Gillis started in character with “Bro, it’s a non-starter. He said he doesn’t f*cking” before catching himself with a “Jeez” and finishing the thought with “like ’em.” Just Jared reported that Gillis, 38, broke character, turned to the crowd and waved before getting back into the scene.
Mikey Day did what a seasoned cast member does and folded the mistake straight into the bit. Staying in character, Day ad-libbed, “You’re a loser, and you said a bad word!” Gillis, also in character, answered, “Yes, I did.” Variety, The Wrap and Parade were among the outlets that reported the exchange, and honestly it might be the best-timed laugh of the sketch.
Gillis closed the segment with a quick “Sorry about earlier,” according to Deadline. The Wrap also confirmed he apologized to the audience at the end of the sketch.
Censors missed it, social media did not
Here is the part that makes this a story rather than a blooper. Deadline reported that the censors did not catch the word on the live broadcast or on the stream. Per the outlet’s reporting, it was audible to the East Coast audience and to anyone watching on Peacock.
By the time SNL posted the sketch to social media, the word had been muted, Deadline reported. So the official clip is clean, but plenty of viewers heard the original in real time.
Gillis returned to the subject once more during the curtain call. TMZ reported his goodnights sign-off in full: “My thanks to Rosalía, and, uh, sorry about earlier. Thank you guys very much. I had a good time.” Short, a little sheepish and very much on brand for a comic who has built a career on not looking too polished.
The monologue and the Hegseth cold open
Before the sketch drama, Gillis used his monologue to share a nickname he picked up in an unusual setting. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he recounted being in Joe Rogan’s private gym sauna with Theo Von, and Rogan relaying the verdict: “Hey, Theo said you looked like a gas station egg.” Gillis told the story as the butt of the joke, which is how he tends to operate when he hosts.
The night opened with politics. HuffPost and The Wrap reported that the October 10 cold open featured Colin Jost as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth welcoming the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln home to San Diego after a deployment of more than 300 days. The sketch also took shots at Hegseth’s plans to livestream an execution, per Deadline. Variety noted that Jost has been the recurring cast member playing Hegseth throughout Season 52, so the impression had some mileage behind it.
Rosalía was the musical guest for the episode, according to Variety.
A newbie steals the reviews
The headline of Deadline’s review told the story bluntly: “Shane Gillis’ Third Time Hosting Is Saved By Cast Newbie Grace Reiter.” The outlet singled out Reiter as the episode’s bright spot.
Reiter is new to the show this year. Variety reported that she joined as a Season 52 featured player alongside Saidah Belo-Osagie, following the departures of Chloe Fineman and Martin Herlihy. For a performer only three episodes into the gig, getting your name in a review headline is a strong start.
The long road to a third hosting gig
Gillis and SNL have a history that goes beyond hosting. Variety reported that he was originally hired as a cast member in September 2019, then fired days later after offensive podcast comments resurfaced. The show brought him back as a host in February 2024, invited him again in March 2025, and handed him the keys a third time on October 10 for Season 52, Episode 3.
Three hosting stints after being let go before ever appearing on the show is an unusual arc, and this episode added a new chapter to it. One stray word on live television, a cast that caught the fumble and ran with it, and a host who apologized twice without making a big production of it.
The muted clip will live on social media. The unmuted version lives in the memory of everyone who was watching the East Coast feed. Either way, Gillis got his wish from the goodnights: he had a good time.
