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Bad Bunny Hosts SNL Season 51 Premiere and Prepares for Super Bowl Halftime Show

Sophia Clarke
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'SNL' Season 51 Begins with Bad Bunny

The season premiere features Bad Bunny as host, five new cast members, and several returning favorites.

  • Bad Bunny hosts 'SNL' premiere
  • Five new featured players join cast
  • Amy Poehler and Sabrina Carpenter also hosting
  • High-profile departures from previous cast
  • 'SNL' won 12 Emmys for Season 50
  • Political commentary surrounding Super Bowl performance

NEW YORK — Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny opened the 51st season of Saturday Night Live on NBC on October 4, addressing critics and previewing his Super Bowl LX performance.

Monologue and Super Bowl Details

Bad Bunny began by acknowledging detractors: “I think everybody is happy about it — even Fox News” during his opening monologue. He then spoke in Spanish to celebrate Latino pride and added, “You have four months to learn,” referencing his upcoming halftime show. The Super Bowl LX halftime show will take place on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and will be performed entirely in Spanish.[1][2]

Cold Open Satirizes Defense Secretary

The cold open featured Colin Jost as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoofing a Pentagon briefing. Jost’s Hegseth declared “No fatties, no facial hair, no body hair” before declaring “late night TV” the greatest threat to democracy.[1]

Weekend Update Highlights ICE Discussion

On “Weekend Update,” Michael Che reported Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s statement that ICE agents would be present at the Super Bowl following Bad Bunny’s announcement. Che quipped the agents were there “to catch all those farmworkers who can afford Super Bowl tickets,” underscoring tensions over immigration enforcement.[2]

New Cast Lineup

Season 51 adds five featured players: Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska. They join repertory performers including Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, James Austin Johnson, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, and others, forming a 17-member ensemble.[3][4]

Musical Guest and Sketch Highlights

Doja Cat made her SNL debut as musical guest. Sketch highlights included a medieval “Inventing Spanish” segment with Bad Bunny as a 10th-century ruler explaining noun gender, featuring a cameo by Benicio Del Toro.[1]

Upcoming Hosts and Milestones

Amy Poehler will host on October 11, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of SNL’s first episode on October 11, 1975. Sabrina Carpenter will host on October 18 and also serve as musical guest.[5]

Sophia Clarke

Sophia Clarke

Senior International Journalist

United Kingdom – London Entertainment

Sophia Clarke is a senior international journalist with nine years of experience covering global politics, human rights, and international diplomacy. She earned her M.A. in International Relations and Journalism from the University of Oxford (2016), where she specialized in global governance, conflict reporting, and cross-cultural communication. Sophia began her career as a foreign correspondent for BBC World Service and later joined The Guardian, where her insightful analyses and on-the-ground reporting from Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America earned her recognition for accuracy and integrity. Now based in Paris, France, Sophia contributes to Faharas NET, providing comprehensive coverage of diplomatic affairs, humanitarian issues, and policy developments shaping the international landscape. Her storytelling combines investigative depth, journalistic ethics, and a strong commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices in global dialogue.

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Elena Voren is a senior journalist and Tech Section Editor with 8 years of experience focusing on AI ethics, social media impact, and consumer software. She is recognized for interviewing industry leaders and academic experts while clearly distinguishing opinion from evidence-based reporting. She earned her B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Berkeley (2016), where she studied human-computer interaction, AI, and digital behavior. Elena’s work emphasizes the societal implications of technology, ensuring readers understand both the practical and ethical dimensions of emerging tools. She leads the Tech Section at Faharas NET, supervising coverage on AI, consumer software, digital society, and privacy technologies, while maintaining rigorous editorial standards. Based in Berlin, Germany, Elena provides insightful analyses on technology trends, ethical AI deployment, and the influence of social platforms on modern life.

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Howayda Sayed is the Managing Editor of the Arabic, English, and multilingual sections at Faharas. She leads editorial supervision, review, and quality assurance, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and adherence to translation and editorial standards. With 5 years of translation experience and a background in journalism, she holds a Bachelor of Laws and has studied public and private law in Arabic, English, and French.

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Editorial Timeline

Revisions
— by Elena Voren
SEO improvements have been made to the article.
— by Howayda Sayed
Cited Kristi Noem’s remarks with DHS context.
— by Howayda Sayed
Verified all facts using NFL and SNL sources.
— by Howayda Sayed
Changed the title to improve clarity.
— by Howayda Sayed
Initial publication.

Correction Record

Accountability
— by Howayda Sayed
  1. Verify monologue quotes and Spanish segments with the official SNL transcript once published.
  2. Confirm Super Bowl LX halftime show details with the NFL’s official press release.
  3. Obtain full transcript or video of Kristi Noem’s remarks to ensure accurate context for ICE enforcement statements.
  4. Update viewership metrics, including live and streaming ratings, from Nielsen and NBC’s press releases when available.
  5. Add author byline with credentials and include editorial contact information to meet Google News transparency requirements.
  6. Incorporate SEO keywords—such as “Bad Bunny SNL”, “Super Bowl LX halftime show”, and “SNL Season 51 cast”—into metadata and subheadings.

FAQ

Why is Bad Bunny hosting 'SNL'?

He is a popular music superstar with recent notable events.

What concerns did Bad Bunny raise?

He worried about ICE targeting immigrants during shows.

How many new cast members are there?

Five new featured players have joined the cast.

Related Posts

Table of Contents

Monologue and Super Bowl DetailsCold Open Satirizes Defense SecretaryWeekend Update Highlights ICE DiscussionNew Cast LineupMusical Guest and Sketch HighlightsUpcoming Hosts and Milestones