Nikki Glaser Set to Make Her Saturday Night Live Hosting Debut on November 8

Comedian Nikki Glaser is gearing up for one of the biggest moments of her career as she prepares to host Saturday Night Live for the very first time on November 8, 2025. The stand-up star, best known for her sharp wit and fearless roasts, will take center stage in SNL’s Season 51, Episode 5, with musical guest Sombr performing that night.

Glaser has been working hard to make sure her debut is memorable. During a chat on Late Night with Seth Meyers on November 3, she revealed that she’s been testing her monologue across New York City comedy clubs in the days leading up to the big show. “For the monologue, it’s like rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, run it around town at different clubs,” she told Meyers. “That’s the one I can have control over.” Meyers, who knows the SNL process well, praised her approach, saying the writers love when a host arrives with strong material and confidence in their own comedic voice.

And Glaser certainly has that voice. A veteran of the stand-up scene since the early 2000s, she’s known for her unapologetically honest style and memorable turns on Comedy Central roasts for stars like Rob Lowe, Bruce Willis, and Alec Baldwin. Her profile hit a new high in 2024 after her standout performance at Tom Brady’s roast, which had audiences talking for weeks.

Despite her deep comedy background, Glaser admitted she’s never really done sketch acting before. “I’m just gonna throw myself into it and totally surrender to the process,” she said. Interestingly, fellow comedian Nate Bargatze had little sketch experience before hosting in Season 49—and he’s now a two-time host—so the precedent is encouraging.

Hosting SNL also comes with some family advice. Glaser shared that her dad warned her not to read the cue cards, not realizing that’s actually how the show works. “He doesn’t understand that you kind of have to,” she joked. Her parents will be in the audience, along with friends from her hometown. “I’m flying in my parents, my friends from high school—just anyone who didn’t ever see this happening for me,” she said. “I want to look right at them and say, ‘Look at me now.’”

During her conversation with Meyers, the comedian learned she’s also making a small bit of SNL history—she’s the first person to host the show while living in St. Louis. “That does feel cool to me,” she said, laughing that people in her hometown aren’t particularly fazed. “I keep trying to drop it because this is the best time, before you host it, to be like, ‘I’m hosting!’ But people just go, ‘Oh fun!’ It keeps me humble.”

The November 8 episode continues a strong Season 51 lineup that has already featured hosts like Miles Teller and will soon include Glen Powell. You can catch Nikki Glaser’s SNL debut with musical guest Sombr live on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT (that’s 10:30 p.m. CT for her fellow St. Louisans). For more details about this season’s schedule, visit the official SNL page on NBC and the Season 51 episode guide on SNL Fandom.