Shane Gillis Breaks His Silence on Controversial ‘Saturday Night Live’ Monologue

admin · November 14, 2026 · 5 min read

Editorial illustration of a comedian silhouetted at a microphone on a late-night television stage under a spotlight.

Shane Gillis has finally addressed the backlash over his controversial “Saturday Night Live” monologue, telling Joe Rogan that he warned the show’s producers in advance that his opening set was a “C minus” — and that he expected no controversy at all.

Speaking on “The Joe Rogan Experience” in a new episode, the 38-year-old comedian said he assured the “SNL” team that his monologue would be little more than ten minutes of jokes about his own weight. Instead, a single joke about what women wear at the gym turned the Shane Gillis SNL monologue into one of the most debated moments of the show’s season.

What Gillis told Rogan

“The whole time, I was like, ‘Fellas, I’m giving you a solid C minus of a monologue but I promise there’s no controversy,'” Gillis said. “‘I’m calling myself fat for f—ing 10 minutes. That’s it.'”

He also explained why the show did not step in to cut the joke. According to Gillis, “SNL” does not approve or write monologues for stand-up comedians who host the show. “Not to defend ‘SNL,’ they don’t approve it,” he said. “They could shut it down, but you don’t write your set and give it to them.”

Gillis added that he had performed the same material about a week before the broadcast at the Comedy Cellar in New York, where it went over well. On Rogan’s show, he said he considered removing people who had spoken negatively about the bit from his tour, but decided against it. Rogan replied that the criticism had come from “struggling middling comedians.”

The joke that started the backlash

Gillis hosted “Saturday Night Live” for the third time on October 10. During his opening monologue, he joked that he had not been to a gym in so long that he was surprised by what women now wear while working out, saying women “dress like whores” at the gym. The line drew criticism online and from fellow performers, with many calling the remark misogynistic, while others defended it as a joke about gym culture and being filmed in the background of strangers’ workout videos.

Among those who spoke out were actor Dan Levy and comedian Kathy Griffin, while longtime “SNL” star Kenan Thompson also reacted. The following week, host Inde Navarrette referenced the joke in her own opening monologue. Rogan also brought the gym-clothing debate back up, noting that women wear “skin-tight, very thin shorts” to work out. Gillis said he had no problem with women wearing skin-tight outfits to the gym. “It’s wonderful,” he said.

A complicated history with ‘SNL’

The controversy carries extra weight because of Gillis’s history with the show. In 2019, he was announced as a new featured cast member for Season 45, only to be fired days later after clips of him using racial slurs on podcasts resurfaced. He has since returned to host three times, in 2024, 2025 and again this October. Gillis told Rogan that, unlike in 2019, he deleted his social media accounts this time while the controversy was unfolding.

Why this matters

The episode has become a flashpoint in the debate over where comedy ends and offense begins, and over how much responsibility a show like “SNL” bears for a host’s material. Gillis’s account suggests the show largely trusts comedian hosts to police themselves — and that even the host can misjudge how a joke will land.

Latest developments

The Rogan episode was released on Friday, with entertainment outlets including The Wrap and Just Jared reporting Gillis’s comments early on Saturday. NBC, which broadcasts “SNL,” has been contacted for comment by LADbible. Gillis has not apologized for the routine, and he continues to tour. In other celebrity news this week, Daniel Radcliffe said he may never watch HBO’s Harry Potter reboot, while Avril Lavigne welcomed her first child at 42.

Frequently asked questions

What did Shane Gillis say in his ‘SNL’ monologue?

During his October 10 monologue, Gillis joked about going to the gym and said he was surprised by what women wear while working out. The line drew backlash from fellow performers and online, while others defended it as a joke about gym culture.

Why didn’t ‘SNL’ cut the joke from the monologue?

According to Gillis, the show does not approve or write monologues for stand-up comedians who host. He said producers could have shut the bit down, but comedians write and deliver their own opening sets.

Why was Shane Gillis fired from ‘SNL’ in 2019?

Gillis was announced as a featured cast member for Season 45 in 2019 but was fired days later, before appearing in an episode, after clips of him using racial slurs on podcasts resurfaced. He later returned to host in 2024, 2025 and October 2026.

Gillis’s first public comments on the monologue do not settle the debate over the joke — but they do explain how it reached the air.