Ariana Grande delivers emotional holiday monologue as Bowen Yang makes final ‘SNL’ appearance

Saturday Night Live aired a new episode on December 20, 2025, with Ariana Grande serving as host for the final show of the year. The episode also marked the last appearance of Bowen Yang as a cast member.

News of Yang’s exit was reported earlier in the week and confirmed by him ahead of the broadcast.

The show started with a monologue from Grande, where she mentioned her past time on the show and her recent projects. During the monologue, Yang came by to say hi to the audience.

This was his first on, screen appearance after his departure was announced. The episode had Cher as the musical guest, coming back to the show for the first time since 1987.

The December 20 broadcast is a continuation of season 51, which has already aired eight episodes.

The next hosts and musical guests for the remaining episodes in 2026 have not been announced yet. The episode was in line with the show's usual format of sketches and musical performances, also recognizing Yang's departure and ending the year's run.
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Grande opens the show with a monologue and a holiday song on Saturday Night Live

Grande began her monologue by talking about questions she had received ahead of her return to the show.

“The last time I hosted was a year ago, and so many people have been asking me if I’ll revisit any of my sketches from last time,” she said.

She explained that she was not planning to bring back past characters, adding, “When something is perfect, it doesn’t need a sequel.” She then made a joke about her recent film work, saying, “That’s why I just finished filming Meet the Parents 4.”

The monologue moved into a holiday-themed musical segment. Grande performed a parody based on Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” changing the lyrics to focus on holiday gift shopping.

Before starting the song, she said, “I love shopping for all of my loved ones, but I have to admit, I get a little stressed shopping for certain other people in my life.” During the performance, Yang joined her onstage.

He spoke briefly during the segment and said, “I can help you, Ari.” His appearance drew attention because it was his first time on camera since it was made public that he would be leaving the show after this episode.

The segment tied together the holiday theme, Grande’s role as host, and Yang’s final appearance during the opening moments of the episode.
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Bowen Yang marks his final episode on Saturday Night Live

The December 20 episode served as Bowen Yang’s final episode as a cast member. The news of his departure was shared on Friday before the broadcast and later confirmed by Yang on social media.

In an Instagram post, he reflected on his time on the show and wrote, “I loved working at SNL, and most of all, I loved the people.” He also thanked the show’s creator, Lorne Michaels, for the opportunity.

Yang mentioned the timing of his exit and thanked Grande for hosting the episode, writing that she had sent him off in a memorable way. Grande and Yang recently worked together on Wicked, which added context to their shared appearance during the monologue.

The episode also included Cher as the musical guest, marking her return to the program after several decades. Earlier episodes in season 51 featured hosts and musical guests including Bad Bunny, Amy Poehler, Sabrina Carpenter, Miles Teller, Nikki Glaser, Glen Powell, Melissa McCarthy, and Josh O’Connor.

No further details have been released about the remaining schedule for the season.

The December 20 broadcast followed the show’s usual structure while also marking a change in the cast as Yang concluded his run.
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Stay tuned for more updates.