SNL pregame showcases Padilla’s “Haircut” sketch and Hot Ones challenge

Saturday Night Live aired a new episode on NBC on December 13. Josh O’Connor served as host, and Lily Allen appeared as the musical guest.

In the days before the episode aired, NBC released several pregame videos and interviews connected to the show.

These clips were shared across NBC, Peacock, and social media platforms.

The pregame content included late-night talk show appearances, behind-the-scenes footage, and short promo videos filmed inside Studio 8H.

Much of the coverage focused on cast member Ashley Padilla, who appeared in several interviews discussing her work on the show.

Her “Haircut” sketch, which aired earlier in the season, was featured again as part of the pregame material.

The pregame also marked Lily Allen’s return to Saturday Night Live as a musical guest. Allen had not appeared on the show since 2007.

NBC shared clips from her earlier performances and released new promo videos featuring Allen, O’Connor, and members of the cast.

Other pregame segments included a digital game show featuring current cast members and recap posts from the show’s rehearsal week.

Together, the content offered context on the December 13 episode and showed how the cast and guests prepared ahead of the live broadcast.

Ashley Padilla talks about the “Haircut” sketch and joining the cast of Saturday Night Live

Ashley Padilla was featured heavily in the pregame coverage released before the December 13 episode. Several interviews focused on the “Haircut” sketch, which aired earlier in the season during an episode hosted by Glen Powell.

In the interview, she revealed that she didn't quite see herself in the show during her first season.

"I thought I wasn't going to make it," Padilla ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌shared.

NBC also released behind-the-scenes footage showing table reads and rehearsals tied to the “Haircut” sketch.

Padilla explained that the idea had been pitched more than once before it was selected. “That sketch almost didn’t happen,” she said while describing the process.

In​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ a different video, Padilla mentioned the experience of working with executive producer Lorne Michaels and cleared up the confusion that surrounded her participation during the SNL 50th anniversary special.

The pregame material focused on how the sketch came together and Padilla’s experience on the show, without discussing viewer response or ratings.

Lily Allen returns as musical guest in Saturday Night Live; cast takes part in Hot Ones Wing Pong

Lily Allen returned to Saturday Night Live on December 13 as the musical guest. It was her first appearance on the show since 2007.

As part of the pregame promotion, Allen appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she talked about performing on SNL again. “It’s been a long time,” Allen said during the interview.

NBC shared clips from Allen’s earlier SNL performances of “Smile” and “LDN” as part of the pregame coverage.

New promo videos filmed in Studio 8H featured Allen alongside host Josh O’Connor and cast member Andrew Dismukes.

These short clips included simple exchanges about accents, gift-giving, and language differences. In one segment, Dismukes said, “That’s not the same thing,” during a discussion about wording.

The pregame also included the release of a digital segment called Hot Ones Wing Pong. The video featured cast members Chloe Fineman, Sarah Sherman, Mikey Day, and James Austin Johnson.

The format combined table tennis with questions and spicy chicken wings. Missed shots required participants to answer a question or eat a wing.

Topics included memories from their time on the show and references to former cast members. The segment was released online ahead of the episode as part of NBC’s regular promotion plan.
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