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SNL UK took on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's political nightmare, the Eurovision controversy, and more during its season finale cold open.
Posted in: NBC, Peacock, TV | Tagged: saturday night live, snl
SNL 51 Finale: A Look Back at Michael Che & Colin Jost's "Joke Swaps"
With the SNL Season 51 finale only hours away, we're looking back at "Weekend Update" anchors Michael Che and Colin Jost's "Joke Swaps."
Article Summary
- As SNL Season 51 ends, all eyes are on whether Weekend Update hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost deliver one more Joke Swap.
- The SNL Joke Swap tradition began in 2015 and became a finale and holiday staple, pushing Che and Jost into gleefully brutal bits.
- From 2018 through 2025, each SNL Joke Swap raised the stakes with sharper burns, riskier punchlines, and viral reactions.
- With Season 52 questions looming, the finale could mark another classic Joke Swap or a final run for Che and Jost at the desk.
As host Will Ferrell and musical guest Paul McCartney get ready to help NBC's Saturday Night Live wrap up its 51st season, the questions that have haunted SNL since its opening season return. Who's returning for Season 52? Who's leaving? Who will get bumped up to a full cast member? Will "Weekend Update" get new anchors? Speaking of "Weekend Update," there's another question that the end of the season brings up. Will Michael Che and Colin Jost have another "SNL Joke Swap"? And, with as long as the two have been behind the desk, could this also be their last? With the answer to at least one of those questions only hours away, we're taking a moment to look back at the history of the "Joke Swap."
It was during Season 41's Thanksgiving show (Host Matthew McConaughey and Musical Guest Adele: November 21, 2015) that painfully young-looking Che and Jost introduced viewers to the "joke swap" concept. From there, things pick back up in 2018, and you can check out each edition below to get you up to speed before tonight.
Christmas 2018:
2019's Season 44 Finale:
Christmas 2019:
2020's Season 45 Finale:
Christmas 2020:
2021's Season 46 Finale:
Christmas 2023:
2024's Season 49 Finale:
With SNL getting ready to wrap up 2024, Christmas 2024 was time for Jost and Che to unleash their annual joke swap – and were they able to top their past efforts? Oh, yes. Jost warned the crowd when they began applauding the start of the annual event with, "You applaud now…" Because Che had Jost read his racially charged joke headlines about VP Kamala Harris looking into slavery reparations, Scarlett Johansson celebrating a birthday, and Costco roast beef – in a "Black voice." The jokes themselves saw Jost referring to Johansson as "boo," dropping a roast beef/oral sex joke, and more – all while the camera cut to Johansson's reactions behind the scenes (with her offering an "Oh my god!" at one point). Meanwhile, Jost had Che making the argument that Jay-Z was innocent and that Che frequented Diddy parties – while throwing in some Jeffrey Epstein and Moana 2 references along the way.
SNL wrapped up Season 50 with host Johansson and musical guest Bad Bunny. Of course, with this being the season finale, there was the crucial matter of Che and Jost's "joke swap" tradition to address. After Johansson teased "retaliation" in an interview that dropped before she was officially announced as the season finale host, we couldn't wait to see what would be unleashed (and by whom).
After a run of killer headlines from the past week and the return of the amazing Miss Eggy (Ego Nwodim) talking about airline food (after Jost introduced her as getting fined by the FCC for her last appearance)… it was time! "Lorne! Retire, bitch! Let me run the show!" was how Che had Jost kick things off. First up, Jost had to tell jokes about CBS's Black daytime soap opera The Gates and shots at Kendrick Lamar, while Che had to make jokes about Minecraft, pedophilia, and white women.
Then, Johansson came out for Che to "apologize" to, which led to a nice run of self-deprecating jokes (including upgrading where he sells crack). But then it was Jost's turn, and that included ending with Jost applying lipstick and telling Michaels that he would do "anything" to run SNL. It was an exchange that has to be seen to be truly appreciated because we definitely can't do them justice by transcribing them.
With host Ariana Grande and musical guest Cher helping usher in the holiday-themed final episode of 2025, we were wondering ifJost and Che's "Joke Swap" would make its return. So, it looks like Che convinced Jost that they weren't doing a "Joke Swap" – only for it to turn out they were, leading to a very one-sided affair in Che's favor. From jokes about slavery to child molestation to Johansson (yup, again), it was brief but brutal – before Bowen Yang and a returning Aidy Bryant offer some more "Trend Forecasters" forecasts.
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