Saturday Night Live Returns Dec. 6 With Melissa McCarthy, Ariana Grande Among Hosts

Saturday Night Live comes back to NBC on Dec. 6 at 11:30 p.m. ET after its Thanksgiving break. The sketch show has three episodes planned to close out 2025. Melissa McCarthy hosts the first one, while Dijon performs as the musical act.

Josh O'Connor takes the hosting spot on Dec. 13, with Lily Allen handling the music. The year's last episode airs on Dec. 20, with Ariana Grande hosting and Cher performing.

This marks McCarthy's sixth turn as host for the NBC comedy program. She grabbed an Emmy Award in 2017 for her hosting on the show.

Grande's December visit will be her fifth time leading the late-night program. She last hosted in October 2024, and this appearance follows the release of Wicked: For Good. Cher last appeared on the show in a 1987 episode that Candice Bergen hosted, but she performed during the SNL 50th Anniversary Homecoming special in early 2025.

The show's 51st season started on Oct. 4. Hosts have included Bad Bunny, Amy Poehler, Sabrina Carpenter, Miles Teller, Nikki Glaser, and Glen Powell. Musical guests have included Doja Cat and Olivia Dean.

NBC aired a repeat of the Oct. 11 episode on Nov. 29 instead of new content. That October episode marked the 50th anniversary of the show's debut in 1975 and brought Poehler back with her former Weekend Update co-hosts Tina Fey and Seth Meyers.

All three December episodes air live on NBC and stream on Peacock at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT.