Che Says SNL Should Limit Political Cold Opens
The former Weekend Update anchor said on a podcast that the show should do fewer political sketches.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Comedy
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Michael Che said on Ego Nwodim's Thanks Dad podcast that he wants Saturday Night Live to do fewer political cold opens. He pointed to a 2019 cold open starring Leslie Jones as Gayle King and Kenan Thompson as R. Kelly, which Nwodim called one of her favorite cold opens ever.
Why it matters
SNL produces a number of political cold opens each season, and the show's recurring political sketches shape much of its public profile. Che's comments add a voice from inside the show's comedy ranks to the debate over how much the program should lean on current politics.
The 2019 Gayle King and R. Kelly cold open was performed on a Friday night and was written because SNL could not come up with a political sketch that week. Che's comments are his own view and the source does not report any programming response from NBC or the show's producers.
The players
Michael Che
Michael Che is a comedian and former co-anchor of Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update who has also written and performed across the show's sketch and cold open work.
Ego Nwodim
Ego Nwodim is a comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member who hosts the Thanks Dad podcast.
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is NBC's long-running sketch comedy series known for its weekly cold opens that often satirize current political figures and events.
James Austin Johnson
James Austin Johnson is a comedian and current SNL cast member who has played President Trump on the show.
The details
Speaking with Ego Nwodim on her Thanks Dad podcast, Michael Che said he wants SNL to do fewer political cold opens. Che and Nwodim were co-stars on the show, and Nwodim called the 2019 Gayle King cold open, starring Leslie Jones and Kenan Thompson, one of her favorite cold opens ever.
Timeline
2019: SNL aired the Gayle King and R. Kelly cold open.
November 4, 2026: The Thanks Dad episode with Michael Che was published.
Industry Dynamics
Che's remarks fit into a long-running debate inside SNL over how heavily the show should rely on political satire in its cold opens. The 2019 R. Kelly and Gayle King sketch stands out because it was written as a non-political alternative when no political idea was available that week.
Viewers who watch SNL on NBC will see whether the balance of political and non-political cold opens changes in upcoming episodes. The source does not indicate any change to broadcast schedules, streaming availability, or ticket access.
The takeaway
Che's remarks show that even inside the show, performers disagree about how much political material SNL should air. Readers following late-night comedy can compare future cold opens against the 2019 sketch to judge whether the balance shifts.
Further reading
Explore more in Comedy for additional coverage of sketch and late-night comedy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TheWrap.
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