From forgotten lines to awkward monologues, Studio 8H has seen it all! Join us as we count down the most cringe-worthy moments when Saturday Night Live hosts struggled on live television. These celebrity mishaps range from character breaks and wooden performances to near-injuries and inappropriate language that had to be bleeped!
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00:00Hey pups. Hey son, who's the boss? I am. Oh, stage almost fell on you son, that would have sucked.
00:13Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best examples of mishaps,
00:19character breaks, and or any time the host struggled on SNL. Your bestie took a major
00:24L while driving her Hellcat. Yeah, we saw. We tried everything we could in surgery,
00:30and it was sus for a while, but we have your bestie on a machine,
00:33and we're doing everything we can. Number 10. Candice Bergen forgets a name.
00:39You're not too bright, are you Fern? I mean, whatever your name was.
00:48This particular moment ranks among the more famous breaks in SNL history. During the early years of
00:54SNL, Candice Bergen announced herself as a successful host. This sketch showed that breaking
01:00can also be one of the funniest parts of the show. When Bergen mixes up the name of Gilda
01:05Radner's character, she starts to crumble. You know, we all can't be brainy like Fern here.
01:13Her co-star keeps going despite the mistake and sets up even more laughs. The guest performer
01:19loses it, turning this clip into one of the more entertaining skits of the initial seasons.
01:24It's hard to imagine this scene going any other way. Extremely stupid people are discriminated
01:30against all the time, and I should know, and so should Fern, because we are.
01:35Number nine. Malcolm McDowell gets zero laughs. After Lorne Michaels and the original cast
01:41left SNL, the comedy program took a turn in 1980. It sure is exciting, Uncle Lester.
01:47My very first commie hunt. Well, hell, Jim Bob is the first one they've allowed now in 20 years.
01:53I expect I've never been as jacked up as you are. The result was an uneven season that's regarded
01:58as a low point. When Malcolm McDowell hosted, he appeared in one of the worst skits ever.
02:04McDowell plays a leader of a violent group ready to hunt alleged communists.
02:10All right, now listen up here a minute now. Now, we're all anxious to get started,
02:16and no one's more anxious than I am. Well, then what the hell are we waiting for?
02:22That's what I want to know. We got a couple of legalities to take care of first.
02:27The scene basically plays to silence, with the host delivering a speech before his character
02:31gets shot. It's a big swing for an acclaimed actor that gets no love whatsoever. We can
02:36only imagine what was going through the man's head, with the script giving him no room to be funny.
02:43Now, everybody keep your eyes on me, and when I give the signal,
02:47we all fire. Number eight, Lindsay Lohan lives through Debbie Downer.
02:56He was attacked by his own tiger and suffered devastating injuries.
03:05In the 2000s, Debbie Downer became a recurring character. Her trip to Disney became one of the
03:11wildest sketches of its era. Lindsay Lohan was the host, having to watch as her co-stars all
03:17break. She then has to give a speech at the end. Naturally,
03:20Lohan can't make it through her dialogue without laughing like everyone else.
03:32The comedy train rolls off the tracks as she and the cast struggle through the scene. It's now
03:38something of a famous moment for the actress and the other players.
03:41You know what, Debbie? You are totally ruining my trip to Disney.
03:47I didn't say a word during It's a Small World when you talked about low birth weight,
03:50or during the fireworks when you went about about feline AIDS.
03:55The guest performer does her best, but she can't compete against the barrage of laughter.
04:00Number seven, Michael Phelps shares a sketch with Jared Fogle.
04:04Hi, I'm Olympic champion Michael Phelps. You know I had to sacrifice a lot to earn
04:09eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, but one thing I never sacrificed was a good meal.
04:14When this swimmer hosted SNL, he was coming off a historic performance in the Beijing
04:19Summer Olympics. Then cozy up to a pound of pasta, three Cuban sandwiches smothered in mayonnaise,
04:24a fried turkey stuffed with molasses, a barrel of Halloween candy,
04:28and to wash it all down, a pitcher of hollandaise sauce.
04:32He then hopped out of the pool and into this comedy sketch about his diet.
04:36It's not a bad idea, but nothing seems to come together.
04:39Michael Phelps mostly reads his lines like they're basic advertisements.
04:44To make matters worse, he shares the spotlight with infamous Subway spokesman Jared Fogle.
04:50Hey, I'm Jared Fogle from Subway.
04:53Phelps's energy isn't the only thing that hasn't aged well from this scene.
04:57We wouldn't blame the Olympian if he never wanted to watch this one again.
05:02Thanks, Jared. The Michael Phelps diet, because you don't have to train like an Olympic athlete
05:06to have a body like an Olympic athlete.
05:09Number six, Justin Bieber almost gets crushed. While it didn't make it to the final show,
05:15this sketch features an embarrassing moment for the host.
05:18Hey, pops.
05:19Hey, son. Who's the boss?
05:23I am.
05:26Oh, the stage almost fell on you, son. That would've sucked.
05:28Justin Bieber starred as a band member with Bill Hader and others.
05:32At one point, the set almost falls on the guest performer.
05:36Hader improvises his way out of it as the vocalist breaks character.
05:40It's rare that a piece of the scenery almost harms someone.
05:43Considering how the skit goes, this is just the beginning of more disaster and confusion.
05:48The host carries on despite the audience's stunned reactions.
05:51Bieber's talent for performance doesn't translate to this scene,
05:55having avoided injury and laughs.
05:57That would've sucked big time.
06:02Because I've never hosted this show before. Let's give it a break.
06:06It's not part of it.
06:07Yeah, well, just hold on there.
06:09Number five, Steve Martin's bum note. During this homage to White Christmas,
06:14Steve Martin and Martin Short sing about snow.
06:18It also becomes clear that one is a better singer than the other.
06:22Martin starts on a line, but his false note prompts a reaction from his co-star.
06:26They then carry the skit forward to finish the song parody.
06:30The comedian might be a good banjo player, but he's a little off-key as a vocalist.
06:34Martin's voice is a little off-key, but he's still a good singer.
06:38Martin's voice is a little off-key, but he's still a good singer.
06:41Martin's voice is a little off-key, but he's still a good singer.
06:44The comedian might be a good banjo player, but he's a little off-key as a vocalist.
06:48His co-stars recover, keep singing, and later do some choreography.
06:53Snow, I'd like to go outside and touch a bunch of snow.
06:59Snow, to kiss a great big man entirely made of snow.
07:07Even as one of the most legendary SNL hosts,
07:10this performer can make a hilarious and humbling mistake.
07:13Number four, Steve Forbes's awkward tax jokes.
07:24It has been a hectic last few months. As many of you may know,
07:28I was campaigning for the Republican nomination for the presidency of the United States.
07:34While he was a wealthy businessman, Steve Forbes also tried his hand at politics and comedy.
07:40His appearance on SNL put him on a historic stage. Within the first few seconds of his monologue,
07:46you can tell he's not cut out for the show. His attempt to make jokes about taxes would
07:50be much better suited for a seasoned performer. To add insult to injury,
07:55Forbes tries to make a face directly into the camera.
07:58Now, because I'm sure a lot of you at home are busy filling out your federal income tax returns,
08:06which are due on Monday.
08:07His wooden performance doesn't exactly endear him to the audience.
08:11Appearing stiff and out of place, the man fails to ground himself with this script.
08:16If he ever hosts again, he should work on his material and charisma.
08:20Oh gee, I don't know. Could we have the flat tax?
08:28Number three, Kristen Stewart gets bleeped.
08:31Even though it's on late, Saturday Night Live still has rules about saying certain words.
08:36Host Kristen Stewart made the slip-up near the end of her monologue.
08:40Actually, that is more healthy. That was a really good choice. Okay,
08:43so we've got a great show and I totally care that I'm here because it's the coolest.
08:49With Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon by her side, the actress accidentally let a swear word out.
08:55She looks embarrassed as her co-stars react with surprise. Stewart even turns the moment around,
09:01joking about her future as an SNL presenter.
09:03Other hosts like Sam Rockwell have made the same mistake in memorable fashion.
09:09I'm sorry, kids aren't stupid. Just say what you see, okay? Say what you see.
09:15While it's entirely harmless, this mishap shows that some pros fail to remember TV rules.
09:23Oh my God, and I'm sorry, and unless your car is also here, and I'll never come back.
09:27Oh my God. Justin Rodriguez!
09:31Number two, Elon Musk's cringeworthy performance. No stranger to controversy,
09:37SNL often courts eyebrow-raising guests. Elon Musk's appearance in 2021 garnered plenty of buzz.
09:46Wario, you know Mario better than anyone.
09:49Yeah, just like me, only different colors and I'm a little fatter.
09:53Some cast members hinted at their displeasure, while the sketches themselves seemed out of
09:57place. Musk appears as Wario in a skit that felt bizarre beyond words. More businessman
10:03than comedian, the entrepreneur did not acclimate to his surroundings.
10:08I reckon we go give them a taste of their own medicine.
10:11We're on straight at him, guns blazing.
10:13Hoo-wee, let's ride!
10:15Or, hear me out on this, we could tunnel down into the earth and come up underneath him.
10:21His work in the Gen Z hospital also fell flat, with the show trying to mix a trendy script with
10:27an amateur performer. From start to finish, this unique episode feels much closer to a
10:32The Twilight Zone plot.
10:34Your bestie took a major L while driving her Hellcat.
10:37Yeah, we saw.
10:39We tried everything we could in surgery, and it was sus for a while,
10:42but we have your bestie on a machine, and we're doing everything we can.
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11:021. Steven Seagal's entire episode
11:05If you ask some people who were there, Steven Seagal stands out as one of the worst SNL hosts.
11:17Mr. Novak?
11:22I think this kid needs an ashtray.
11:24He didn't work well with others, and seemed to come off like one of his action hero characters.
11:35Rather than making fun of himself, he appeared to be a little too serious in his sketches.
11:39This makes for some tense moments between him and players like Chris Farley.
11:44What could have been a hilarious episode becomes something of a train wreck.
11:48Seagal is out of his element, unable to give himself over to the process.
11:53When even comedy legends can't save you, you know you've messed up.
11:57Man, your daughter sure does take her time.
12:00What? Does that bother you?
12:05No, no.
12:09It's a nice watch you've got there.
12:11Yeah, my grandmother gave it to me last year for graduation.
12:14Did we forget another cringe moment from an SNL host? Let us know in the comments.
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