Maya Rudolph’s favorite Saturday Night Live host comes from an unlikely background.
The comedian, 53, said during a Thursday appearance on the podcast Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce that former New York Yankee Derek Jeter, 51, was “probably” one of her “favorite hosts ever.”
“I’ve always said this: My favorite, favorite hosts, whenever they were on SNL, were always professional athletes,” Rudolph told Kelce, 33. “They’re so used to performing live that by the time they get to SNL, it’s alright, and they’re bodies are so relaxed because they’ve worked out all morning.”
Rudolph, who was part of the SNL cast from 2000 to 2007, also shared her favorite sketch from Jeter’s December 2001 episode.
“There was a sketch that my friend wrote where [Jeter] came to a party with a perm, and he was just wearing a perm wig,” said Rudolph. “It might be my favorite memory of that night.”
Jeter himself reflected on his one and only time hosting SNL last year, telling Sports Illustrated, “You can’t prepare yourself for hosting Saturday Night Live.”
“I have the utmost respect for those actors and actresses,” Jeter said. “Doing something live where you make a mistake, the whole world sees it, but it’s something that you’re not used to doing, you have zero experience, that was petrifying… I’ve never been so scared, but had a great, great time.”
Meanwhile, Kelce had her own favorite SNL host: her famous brother-in-law.
“I will say, I’m biased, but I do think that my brother-in-law, Travis [Kelce], did an outstanding job when he hosted,” she told the SNL alum.
Travis, 36, hosted SNL in March 2023. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback previously told the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast that the most challenging aspect of hosting was participating in table reads, because he “can’t really read that well.”
However, Rudolph praised Kelce’s comedic abilities, calling his SNL hosting stint “outstanding” and complimenting his work in Happy Gilmore 2.
“I know that your husband [Jason Kelce] loved [Chris] Farley growing up, so [the Kelce brothers] grew up watching that stuff and were probably imitating it,” Rudolph told Kylie Kelce. “They’re funny. I saw the new Sandler movie. Travis is funny!”
“They’re good at everything,” Kelce joked about her famous relatives. “It’s kind of a pain in the a–.”
Rudolph also encouraged the podcast host and former soccer player to follow in her brother-in-law’s footsteps and try her hand at comedy.
“I would not know how to comedy,” joked Kelce.
“I disagree,” said Rudolph. “I think you’re funny, I think you could… comedy is also timing, and it’s about the delivery of things and your take on things, and I think you’re doing just fine.”
However, despite praising professional athletes for their hosting abilities, Rudolph admitted, “I don’t know that much about most sports.”
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