After making a surprise cameo during Ryan Gosling’s monologue last week—a rare instance of a host appearing on-camera the week before their scheduled stint—Harry Styles returns to Saturday Night Live this weekend for his second turn pulling double duty as host and musical guest.
Styles is currently promoting his new album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally. His return also puts him in rare company: he becomes just the 11th person in SNL history to serve as both host and musical guest more than once. (The others are Paul Simon, Lily Tomlin, Mick Jagger, Garth Brooks, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, and Drake.)
Before hosting in 2019, Styles first appeared on SNL with One Direction in 2012, 2013, and 2014, and later returned as a solo musical guest in 2017.
With a new album to promote and a very different cast awaiting him in Studio 8H, Styles’ return arrives at an interesting moment for the show.
Here are five storylines we’ll be watching Saturday night.
Harry Styles’ Timberlake Moment?
The enthusiastic reaction to Styles’ cameo in Gosling’s monologue last week brought to mind another performer widely considered among the show’s all-time great hosts: Justin Timberlake.
Their SNL paths are strikingly similar. Both first appeared on the show with hugely popular boy bands—Timberlake with *NSYNC in 2000 at age 19, Styles with One Direction in 2012 at 18—before returning in their twenties as solo artists and hosts.
Timberlake’s second hosting stint in 2006 proved especially important, as he quickly clicked with a cast launching a new era for the show, including Andy Samberg and the Lonely Island team. Seth Meyers later described that period as the cast having its own unofficial “cast of hosts”—performers they relied on repeatedly throughout that era.
Styles now returns to a similarly transitional SNL. Of the sketch players who were on the show when he last hosted in 2019, only Kenan Thompson, Mikey Day, and Chloe Fineman remain. If Styles proves a strong fit with the current ensemble, this weekend could mark the beginning of a more regular hosting relationship.
Setting the Stage for SNL UK
When Styles’ new album was announced for a March release, fans wondered whether he might appear on Saturday Night Live—and if so, which one.
Sky’s upcoming SNL UK premieres in just over a week, and Styles would have seemed a natural choice for the launch of the British edition. Instead, he’s returning to the flagship show at Studio 8H.
Still, with the UK version nearing its debut—and several key details, including hosts and musical guests, yet to be announced—this weekend’s episode presents an intriguing promotional opportunity. With Lorne Michaels producing both shows (and SNL UK episodes scheduled to stream the following day on Peacock in the U.S.), SNL could use the moment to tease or reveal new information about the upcoming adaptation.
Remembering Liam Payne
While out promoting his new album, Styles has spoken about the loss of his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, who died in October 2024.
With fans continuing to mourn Payne, some have wondered whether Styles might acknowledge his late bandmate during Saturday’s episode, either in his monologue or through one of his musical performances.
Meanwhile, fellow One Direction alum Niall Horan—who has also appeared on SNL as a solo musical guest—is currently in New York promoting his new single “Dinner Party,” even popping into restaurants around the city and picking up diners’ tabs. If the timing lines up, a surprise appearance wouldn’t be entirely out of the question.
Could Sara Lee Rise Again?
One of the most memorable sketches from Styles’ 2019 episode was “Sara Lee,” written by Julio Torres and Bowen Yang.
The sketch had an unusual origin story. Torres and Yang first wrote a similar concept for John Mulaney earlier that year titled “Nestlé Instagram,” but it was cut for time. When Styles hosted later in 2019—and Yang had just joined the cast—they revisited the idea, transforming it into a sketch about a wildly inappropriate Instagram manager named Dylan posting about his personal exploits on the Sara Lee account.
The sketch went viral, with viewers flooding Sara Lee’s real Instagram page with quotes from the bit—ultimately prompting the company to disable comments and tell the New York Post that the sketch “doesn’t align with Sara Lee Bread’s brand.”
Yang has since left the show but still lives nearby, and Torres recently announced a new HBO comedy special, Color Theories. This weekend could present an opportunity to revisit—or at least spiritually sequel—one of the best remembered sketches from Styles’ first hosting gig.
Andrew Dismukes Needs a Bounce-Back
If there’s one cast member who could use a stronger showing this week, it’s Andrew Dismukes.
Dismukes logged just 35 seconds of screen time in last weekend’s Gosling episode, marking his lowest two-episode average in more than a year. One reason: the typically reliable Dismukes had a major set built for a Titanic sketch with James Austin Johnson last week, only for it to be cut before the live show.
After playing a consistent role in the show’s fall run, this weekend gives Dismukes an opportunity to rebound. He was on the writing staff when Styles hosted in 2019, meaning he already knows how to write to Styles’ comedic voice—something that could help him land a much bigger role this weekend.
This weekend’s Saturday Night Live airs Saturday, March 14 at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock. Join us at LateNighter.com immediately after for the Saturday Night Network’s live after-show, where SNL experts and superfans share their hot takes on the night’s best and worst moments.
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