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John Mulaney Returns to 'SNL' for a Record Seventh Hosting Gig Tonight, With Phoebe Bridgers Performing

Mulaney closes out a run of three straight new episodes as Phoebe Bridgers makes her first solo turn as musical guest since 2021, in a season that's had a rockier ride than usual.

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BY OBSERVER ENTERTAINMENT DESK

The Weekly Observer

NOV 14, 2026 · 3 MIN READ
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John Mulaney is back in Studio 8H one more time. The comedian hosts tonight's episode of "Saturday Night Live" — his seventh turn in the chair — with singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers making her first appearance as musical guest since 2021.

The episode airs live at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and streams on Peacock, closing out a stretch of three consecutive new episodes after Druski's hosting debut alongside The Strokes on November 7 and Inde Navarrette's turn with Gracie Abrams on October 31.

A familiar face in a tricky season

Mulaney's seventh hosting credit puts him among the show's most frequent recent guest hosts, a track record built on a string of memorable monologues and sketches since his first appearance in 2018. His return comes at a moment when "SNL" could use a reliably steady hand: season 52 opened with Jalen Brunson and Katseye, continued through Dakota Johnson and Shane Gillis, and hit turbulence when Gillis's October 10 episode drew criticism over a joke about women's gym attire and an on-air profanity slip during a sketch, according to TheWrap.

Mulaney is coming off a busy fall. He co-stars in the Prime Video film "Madden," which opens in select theaters and begins streaming November 18, and he's mid-run on his "Mister Whatever" national stand-up tour — timing that lines up neatly with a hosting slot built, in part, to promote the new movie.

HER FIRST SOLO TURN AS MUSICAL GUEST SINCE 2021

Bridgers' return

For Bridgers, tonight marks a return to a stage she hasn't played solo in several years — her last "SNL" appearance as a featured musical act came in 2021. The indie singer-songwriter, known for her work with boygenius alongside Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker as well as her own solo catalog, is expected to perform two songs during the broadcast, per the show's standard format.

Stereogum first reported Mulaney and Bridgers' pairing in late October, when NBC rolled out its lineup of November hosts and musical guests, which also included Miles Teller, Nikki Glaser and Glen Powell on upcoming dates this month.

What's next

"SNL" heads toward its Thanksgiving break after tonight's episode, with Teller, Glaser and Powell's hosting dates still to come before the show takes its traditional holiday hiatus. For now, all eyes are on whether Mulaney — a seven-time host who rarely misses — can give the season's uneven run a strong, clean note to close out before the layoff.

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