Josh O’Connor made his Saturday Night Live hosting debut on December 13, 2025, with Lily Allen as musical guest. The Season 51, Episode 8 broadcast mixed political satire, holiday sketches and Allen’s performances of “Sleepwalking” and “Madeline”—the latter featuring Dakota Johnson in its spoken-word section.
What happened on Josh O’Connor’s SNL episode?
The 69-minute episode opened with an Air Force One press-conference parody. James Austin Johnson played Donald Trump, Ashley Padilla made her debut as Karoline Leavitt, and Chloe Fineman appeared as Kaitlan Collins. The political references belong to the sketch’s satire, rather than serving as a report of real events.
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O’Connor took on broad character work across the night. In “Let’s Find Love,” a dating-show parody, he seemed positioned as the expected choice, but an 84-year-old contestant played by Padilla chose host Kenan Thompson instead.
Fantasy, interviews and holiday comedy
“Wizard of Oz Deleted Footage” recast familiar storybook roles: Sarah Sherman played Dorothy, Bowen Yang the Wizard, Andrew Dismukes the Scarecrow, Thompson the Cowardly Lion and O’Connor the Tin Man.
“Characters on Characters” parodied Variety’s Actors on Actors interviews, pairing seasonal characters for earnest conversations. Other sketches in the episode breakdown included “College Class,” “Brad and His Dad: Christmas” and “Teaching Hospital.” Apple TV’s segment listing also names the monologue, “Your Year Wrapped” and Weekend Update. These listings identify selected segments; they should not be taken as a guarantee that every live-broadcast moment is represented.
Lily Allen’s songs and the “Madeline” appearance
Allen performed “Sleepwalking” and “Madeline.” During “Madeline,” Dakota Johnson appeared from behind a sheer curtain to deliver the track’s spoken-word portion, making the performance’s reveal one of the episode’s clearest musical set pieces.
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Allen’s music also shaped a sketch: in “Lily Allen Brunch,” cast members sang passive-aggressive complaints to the melody of “West End Girl,” while Allen appeared as a waitress. The episode was Allen’s second appearance as SNL musical guest.
How critics viewed the episode
Peacock’s December 15 recap praised O’Connor as a nimble fit for Studio 8H and highlighted the episode’s range. Zach Vasquez, reviewing the broadcast for The Guardian on December 14, took a more critical view, describing it as a “laugh-light episode” and arguing that Allen stole the show. That is one critic’s assessment, not a measure of audience response; it does, however, reflect how Allen’s performances and the “Madeline” reveal could stand out in an episode he found uneven.
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The broadcast aired December 13, 2025, as Season 51, Episode 8. Peacock lists its runtime as 69 minutes. Its published viewing guidance says Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and is available on Peacock the next day. Platform access and the availability of this particular episode can vary or change, so check current listings for your market.
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