Wednesday, May 20, 2026

SNL Season Finale Ratings Tied with Last Week’s Record Low As Lil Nas X Rips His Pants Pole Dancing, Cast Members Say Goodbye

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“SNL” season finale ratings were 3.5 million, same as last week, tied for lowest ever in show history.

The show had a lot of landmark moments. Lil Nas X, performing his hit “Call Me By Your Name,” ripped his pants while pole dancing. That will go on the anniversary reel. Plus several cast members, as I wrote last night, are leaving or considering it and said their goodbyes last night including Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson, and Cecily Strong.

Anya Joy Taylor of “Queen’s Gambit” fame proved to be a versatile host who was excellent in her monologue and sketches. She also got to reveal herself other than the character she’s known for as light and fun. The season finale was funny, the audience seemed like they were on steroids (the laughs and applause were very loud), and the show was daring in letting Lil Nas X really put on quite a gay musical number.

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz411. He wrote the FOX411 column on FoxNews.com from 1999 to 2009 and previously edited Fame magazine and wrote the "Intelligencer" column at New York magazine. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Vogue, Details, and the Miami Herald. He is a voting member of the Critics Choice Awards (Film and Television branches), and his movie reviews are tracked by Rotten Tomatoes. is articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. With D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, he co-produced the 2002 documentary "Only the Strong Survive," which screened at Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

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