‘SNL UK’ Officially Delivers a Brutal Takedown of ‘Saturday Night Live’s Shane Gillis

Published Oct 18, 2026, 2:48 PM EDT

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If there’s one thing Saturday Night Live knows how to do, it’s stir up controversy. While Shane Gillis dropped an F-bomb during the October 10 episode, it wasn’t just the four-letter curse word that sparked upset. In the comedian’s opening monologue, Gillis remarked that women now dress “like whores” at the gym, followed by a grossly graphic description of their shorts. Meanwhile, across the pond, the team at SNL UK, who have never been shy about saying what’s on their minds, made sure they had their own take on the matter.

During Weekend Update, co-anchor Ania Magliano brought up an Oktoberfest ride operator praised for handing out free cycling shorts to protect women from being upskirted. But while the shorts offered some protection, Magliano warned that they left women vulnerable to something “much worse.” Cue a photo of Gillis, whom she called on live, uncensored TV, a “stupid f—king c—t.” It was short, simple, and a quick jolt of humor that said more than Gillis managed in his seven-minute attempt at self-deprecation. And while he had plenty to say about women during his episode, it meant more for a woman to get the last laugh with a single line.

‘SNL UK’ Just Showed Shane Gillis Why the Punchline Matters

There’s a clear difference between making a joke that pushes boundaries and one that puts down an entire group of people. Gillis might have started his ill-fated monologue poking at his own insecurities, but things took a turn when he made women’s bodies and clothing a problem that men have to deal with — and that’s what makes Magliano’s joke stand out. She didn’t go after Gillis’ appearance or drag an entire group into a punchline. Instead, she criticized something he actually did, turning the joke back on him, which is a sharp contrast to a monologue that reinforced the idea that women’s bodies exist for men’s judgment.

The distinction between these two jokes is very important. Comedy doesn’t have to be polite, clean, or even comfortable to be funny. But being offensive doesn’t automatically make something clever, especially if the joke relies on the same exhausting stereotypes women have been dealing with for decades. Magliano shows you can be as foul-mouthed as you like and still have a point. The real question, though, isn’t how far a comedian can push a joke, but whether there’s anything worthwhile behind the punchline.

‘Saturday Night Live’s Michael Che Had a Different Response

Image via NBCUniversal, Everett Collection

Interestingly enough, Magliano wasn’t the only Weekend Update anchor to weigh in on Gillis’ controversy. On Friday morning, Saturday Night Live’s Michael Che appeared on Today, where he questioned the backlash rather than address the criticism. “That’s comedy. It’s like, you think that it’s funny, and then some people don’t,” Che said before being pressed about his own reaction. “I didn’t think about it, honestly.” In fairness, Che explained that he was busy preparing for his own Weekend Update segment and hadn’t seen the joke until the following day.

And while Che had his reasons for not noticing the joke at first, his response after the fact is still frustrating. That’s what makes Magliano’s joke more pointed. For women who have spent years being judged for what they wear, the problem isn’t something they can simply choose not to think about. Che may not have intended to dismiss concerns, but his answers highlight how easily things like these are an afterthought when you’re not the one being made into a joke.

While Che is content to move past it, his British counterpart Magliano had no issue putting Gillis directly in the firing line. Her joke wasn’t just about his accidental swearing, but also the inflammatory remarks he made about women’s clothing. And the timing gives it another layer for audiences to think about why the target of a punchline matters in the first place.

Saturday Night Live UK premieres on Saturdays in the U.K. on Sky One and streams the next day on Peacock in the U.S.

Saturday Night Live UK