Melissa McCarthy Returns to SNL After 8 Years, Gets Buried in Festive Snowstorm

Melissa McCarthy made a triumphant return to Saturday Night Live on 6 December, hosting the sketch comedy series for the first time in nearly eight years and immediately finding herself buried under a mountain of fake snow.

Fake Snow Buries Star in Chaotic Christmas Monologue

The two-time Oscar nominee kicked off her sixth hosting stint with a festive monologue that quickly turned chaotic when a wave of faux snow engulfed her. 'Okay, that was way too much,' she exclaimed as she attempted to shake off the powder whilst continuing her opening address.

The Bridesmaids star opened the show by celebrating Christmas in New York, telling the audience it was 'a special time of the year' before demonstrating her unconventional musical talent. 'Speaking of music, there's something most people don't know about me, and it's that I am a musician. And my instrument is the mouth horn,' she announced before humming Carol of the Bells.

The monologue descended into further mayhem when SNL cast member Marcello Hernandez wheeled a grand piano onto the stage, accidentally pushing McCarthy out of frame in the process. The pair bickered as he set the piano into place, with the actress joking that he'd dropped it on her fingers. 'Now I've ruined Christmas,' she lamented.

Kenan Thompson quickly stepped in to reassure her. 'Oh, nonsense, Melissa McCarthy. Come on, you haven't ruined Christmas at all. Everyone here loves you,' he said, suggesting she perform one of her favourite Christmas songs. When asked if she wanted to sing, Thompson firmly replied, 'No, no.'

Emmy Winner Joins Elite Six-Time Hosts Club

McCarthy, 55, last hosted SNL on 13 May 2017, marking an eight-year absence from Studio 8H as a host. Her return places her amongst the show's most frequent female hosts, tied with Drew Barrymore, Tina Fey, and Scarlett Johansson at six appearances each.

McCarthy became a member of SNL's exclusive Five-Timers Club during her 2017 hosting appearance, which also earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

Each of her five previous hosting stints earned Emmy nominations, cementing her status as one of the show's most reliable and acclaimed hosts.

Eccentric Characters Elevate Season 51's Best Episode

The episode marked what Deadline called 'a clear highlight of Season 51', with McCarthy taking command of the studio through a series of eccentric characters that elevated basic premises to comedic gold.

Standout sketches included 'UPS Delivery Driver', where McCarthy played Donna, an unhinged employee summoned to a meeting about customer complaints. The skit featured increasingly absurd Ring camera footage showing her committing acts of vandalism, including sending a live bat through a customer's window and, in the sketch's most outrageous moment, relieving herself on their front porch.

Another memorable performance saw McCarthy as a lonely supermarket shopper who catastrophically misinterprets a free cheese sample as a romantic gesture. The sketch gave new cast member Jeremy Culhane a chance to shine as the awkward grocery worker who becomes helplessly drawn to McCarthy's off-putting character.

The pre-taped segment 'A Helping Hand' proved particularly popular, beginning as a saccharine holiday advert before taking a dark turn. McCarthy's elderly neighbour offers increasingly inappropriate 'help' to a young boy, including tying up his bully and providing him with weapons and adult company when rejected by a classmate.

Viral Cameo Last Year Set Stage for Return

Whilst she hadn't hosted since 2017, McCarthy has made several memorable cameos, including her viral appearance in Martin Short's Christmas episode last year, where she played his deranged wife in the 'Parking Lot Altercation' sketch. The bit saw her banging on car windows, spitting milkshake on glass, and smearing it with her chest whilst cast members Chloe Fineman and Mikey Day struggled to maintain composure.

Grammy-Nominated Dijon Makes SNL Musical Debut

The episode also featured musical guest Dijon, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter making his SNL debut. The alternative artist performed tracks 'HIGHER!' and 'Another Baby!' from his recent album, adding a hypnotic neo-soul complement to McCarthy's high-energy comedy.

Two more SNL episodes remain for 2025, with Josh O'Connor set to host on 13 December alongside musical guest Lily Allen, whilst Ariana Grande will close out the year on 20 December with Cher making her first SNL appearance since 1987.