UK ‘SNL’ Mocks Gillis Monologue as Carvey Questions Backlash
WHO:
Fox News - David Spade defended Shane Gillis and told critics to “relax.”
Coming Soon - Kenan Thompson commented on the controversy surrounding Shane Gillis’ “SNL” monologue.
NY Post - Shane Gillis, star of “Tires,” faced backlash over his “Saturday Night Live” monologue.
Variety - Dana Carvey, a “Saturday Night Live” alum, said he did not understand the controversy over Gillis’ monologue.
NY Post - “Saturday Night Live UK” mocked Gillis’ monologue.
WHAT:
Variety - Kenan Thompson said he did not consider Shane Gillis a mean person, adding, “I know Shane, and I don’t know him to be a mean person, necessarily.”
Variety - Thompson said, “We would have to have a real chat” if Gillis hosted “Saturday Night Live” again.
Fox News - Spade and Dana Carvey defended Gillis amid the backlash over his “SNL” joke about women at the gym.
Coming Soon - Thompson said the controversy had overshadowed the episode’s positives.
NY Post - Gillis’ “SNL” monologue joked about the attire women wear to the gym.
NY Post - “Saturday Night Live UK” took aim at the monologue with a raunchy joke.
Variety - Carvey said he “didn’t understand the kerfuffle” over the monologue and “just saw it” as “a joke.”
WHERE:
Coming Soon - Thompson spoke at the Axios Media Trends Live summit in New York.
WHY:
NY Post - Gillis faced backlash for joking about women’s gym attire.
Variety - The monologue sparked outrage because Gillis mocked women at the gym.
HOW:
Variety - Gillis opened his hosting stint on “SNL” by mocking women at the gym.
(UPDATED October 21, 2026 20:17 UTC)
Shane Gillis is facing backlash after joking about women’s gym attire in his opening monologue while hosting “Saturday Night Live.” Comedians David Spade and Dana Carvey defended him, with Carvey saying he didn’t understand the kerfuffle and saw the monologue as a joke. Spade also urged critics to relax. Kenan Thompson weighed in at the Axios Media Trends Live summit in New York, saying he doesn’t consider Gillis a mean person. Thompson said he and Gillis would need to have a real chat if Gillis hosted “Saturday Night Live” again. He also said the controversy had overshadowed the episode’s positive moments. Meanwhile, “Saturday Night Live UK” mocked Gillis’ monologue with a raunchy joke.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 18:12 UTC)
Shane Gillis faced backlash after opening his “Saturday Night Live” hosting stint with a joke mocking what women wear to the gym. The monologue drew criticism, while fellow comedians David Spade and Dana Carvey came to his defense. Spade urged critics to “relax,” and Carvey said he “didn’t understand the kerfuffle,” adding that he saw the bit as a joke. The controversy also reached across the Atlantic, where “Saturday Night Live UK” took aim at Gillis with a raunchy joke of its own. Kenan Thompson weighed in at the Axios Media Trends Live summit in New York, saying the argument had overshadowed the episode’s positives. Gillis, the star of “Tires,” has been at the center of the debate over whether the gym-attire joke went too far.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 07:17 UTC)
Kenan Thompson said the controversy over Shane Gillis’ “SNL” monologue overshadowed the episode’s positives. He made the comments at the Axios Media Trends Live summit in New York. Thompson’s remarks focused on how the debate drew attention away from the rest of the show.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 00:42 UTC)
Shane Gillis faced backlash after opening his “Saturday Night Live” hosting stint with jokes mocking what women wear to the gym. “Saturday Night Live UK” took aim at the monologue with a raunchy joke. “SNL” alum Dana Carvey said he didn’t understand the kerfuffle and saw it as “a joke.”