Shane Gillis Says His SNL Monologue Was Really About Himself

Comedian Shane Gillis says his monologue on the Oct. 10 episode of Saturday Night Live was really a bit about himself. The monologue drew criticism for accusing women at the gym of "dressing like whores." Gillis has now given his side of the story.

Gillis hosted that episode of the NBC sketch show, which has long been a launchpad for stand-up comics. A monologue is the opening comedy routine a host performs before the sketches begin. Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience, a long-running podcast, about a month after the broadcast, Gillis addressed the fallout. Deadline reported his remarks.

Gillis said he had told SNL that his monologue would have no controversy. In his telling, the set was him calling himself fat for 10 minutes. He also said that SNL does not approve stand-up monologues in advance, and that comedians do not submit their material beforehand.

The controversy has followed Gillis for years. He was fired from the SNL cast in 2019, before he appeared in his first episode. That removal came after old videos resurfaced of him mocking Asian accents and using ethnic and gay slurs. Since then, he has hosted the show in 2024 and 2025.

Gillis said he deleted his social media accounts right after the latest controversy. He added that he does not know what people are saying about it now.

Others have weighed in too. Kathy Griffin, Dan Levy, Inde Navarrette, Ego Nwodim and Ania Magliano all criticized Gillis after the October episode. Their comments were about the episode itself.

For viewers, the question is simple. The episode aired, the criticism came, and the host has now explained his intent in his own words. Whether that settles the matter is up to the people watching.