“Saturday Night Live” is a comedic institution. It’s a place where up-and-coming comedic actors hone their skills, and the show has launched numerous careers from Bill Murray to Eddie Murphy, from Adam Sandler to Tina Fey. But the cast is only part of the equation, as episodes are written around the guest host. This celebrity is the glue holding everything together, and it allows audiences a chance to see another side of these famous faces.

The best “Saturday Night Live” guest hosts come from a variety of backgrounds. John Mulaney is always a treat to see, but it makes sense he’d be a good host considering he used to write for “SNL.” Others, like Christopher Walken, are known more their dramatic acting but get to show off their sillier sides on the variety series. While some people seem destined to be great at sketch comedy, others should’ve stayed far away from “SNL.” 

We’re not just talking about people who flub a line or two. Over the show’s 50-year history, some people appear completely out of their depth, either not understanding or not bothering to realize the importance of being part of an ensemble. These are the worst “Saturday Night Live” guest hosts of all time, so get ready to remember a lot of cringey monologues and sketches. 

It kind of makes sense “Saturday Night Live” would trust socialite Paris Hilton with hosting duties. She was interviewed by Jimmy Fallon on “Weekend Update” in 2003, playing around with double entendres while making Fallon uncomfortable. She’s playing herself and the deadpan delivery work well for the segment, but things were a different story in 2005 when she was still relevant enough to host. Man, the 2000s were a dark time. 

She’s completely lifeless the whole episode, with sketches seemingly trying to include her as little as possible. Whereas her deadpan demeanor worked well for a “Weekend Update” interview years before, she brings the energy of the whole show down to bedrock. It was a nightmare for the cast and crew as well, as Tina Fey later spoke with Howard Stern about her feelings toward Hilton. Fey said, “She’s so dumb; she’s so proud of how dumb she is.”

Fey would later backtrack some of her comments, but the proof is in the pudding with this one. Hosting “SNL” could’ve been a way for Hilton to show she’s so much more than a spoiled socialite, and it was squandered. Hilton probably doesn’t care, but the people who had to watch that episode definitely did. 

It’s hard to experience massive fame as a child and then transition seamlessly into adulthood. Just look at Justin Bieber. 2013 was really the beginning of his fall from grace, as that year would see him in a car accident with a pedestrian, as well as his infamous trip to the Anne Frank House where he posted about how he hoped Frank would’ve been a “Belieber.” Before any of that, he hosted “SNL” for a pretty lackluster episode where he seems more concerned with mugging to the audience rather than delivering his jokes. 

Similar to Tina Fey calling out Paris Hilton, Bill Hader later talked about how Bieber was the worst host he had ever seen on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.” Hader clarified his statement by explaining how Bieber was in a “bad place” at the time and that he hoped he was doing better. Hosting “SNL” may have simply been yet another stressor in Bieber’s already stressed-out life, so hopefully, in the future, “SNL” tries to account for a potential host’s mental health before booking them to deliver some yucks. 

The year is 2005. Lance Armstrong is one of the most beloved athletes in the world, becoming a cycling champ, beating cancer, and offering those yellow Livestrong bracelets to raise money for further cancer research. While doping allegations would dog him throughout his career (he even pokes fun at it when hosting “SNL”), he wouldn’t be formally charged for several more years. At the time his “SNL” episode aired, he was just an athlete who just wasn’t very funny. 

On top of that, there’s an unbridled cockiness to his hosting persona. His then-fiancée Sheryl Crowe even pops up in the audience during the opening monologue to get someone else to ask Armstrong when their wedding is going to be, which Armstrong avoids answering. He comes across like someone who feels like he’s gotten away with something, and that’s just not the kind of energy you want for a sketch show. It feels like he’s above it all, making this episode not much fun to watch in 2005 and even more unbearable today. It’s probably for the best that most of the episode has been removed from Peacock, where a scant 17 minutes remain. 

Presidential candidates and billionaires just shouldn’t host “Saturday Night Live.” Remember that for later, as it’s what we in the biz call “foreshadowing.” In 1996, Steve Forbes, billionaire businessman and editor-in-chief for Forbes magazine, had a run for president that didn’t turn out so well. His consolation prize was a hosting gig on “SNL,” and it went about as well as anyone could’ve expected. 

The writers must’ve known Forbes couldn’t carry any comedy on his own, as there are two sketches where he simply plays himself. In one such sketch, he appears on “Nightline” to discuss a book about what a great guy “Teve Torbes” is, denying that the anonymous author, who’s clearly him, is trying to make Steve Forbes and his tax plan look good. 

Arguably, the funniest aspect of the episode is the fact that Rage Against the Machine is the musical act. If the “SNL” writers really wanted to use Forbes wisely, they should’ve brought the band out to do a sketch with him. Maybe reveal Forbes is the secret fifth Rage member? Of course, if you watch the “Ladies and Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music” documentary on Peacock, you’ll understand why that probably wouldn’t have gone well either.

It makes sense when athletes and billionaires are bad “SNL” guest hosts. Having comedic timing isn’t generally part of their job description, but one would assume an actor like January Jones would at least be halfway competent. She was excellent as Betty Draper on “Mad Men,” turning her into one of the show’s best characters. But being able to use multiple takes and hosting a live show are two very different beasts.

Throughout the night, Jones rushes through her lines and breaks character at one point to ask for her cue. She breaks character frequently, like in the “Rear Window” sketch where she plays Grace Kelly and can’t stop farting. The sketch would probably fair better if she kept it together and was doing something silly while playing it completely straight, but she laughs far too often. Some sketches are so funny that even “SNL” actors break character, but there has to be a limit. Jones is a great actress, as she proved throughout her time on “Mad Men,” but live sketch comedy just seems outside of her wheelhouse. 

“SNL” was somehow so confident in Michael Phelps’ hosting abilities, they made him the opener of season 34. Sadly, the whole thing lands with a thud, as Phelps, no disrespect, just isn’t that lively. This isn’t purely a result of him being an athlete, as plenty can make it work. Travis Kelce has a natural charisma to the point where even if he isn’t a great actor, he’s at least likable enough to get through sketches with more seasoned performers carrying him. The same just can’t be said for Phelps. 

Phelps appears to struggle to read the cue cards at various points, throwing off the momentum any sketch could have. Maybe that’s why the writers had him as stiff, awkward cousin Craig in one sketch, where him standing perfectly still the whole time kind of works to his advantage. 

What makes Phelps’ inclusion on this list so disappointing is that the season 34 opener is pretty important, as it features the first time Tina Fey impersonates Sarah Palin, who had recently catapulted to the national stage in the midst of the 2008 presidential election. Watching that cold open is worth it but the rest of the episode, not so much. 

During the 2011 White House Correspondents’ dinner, Seth Meyers had this to say about Donald Trump’s 2012 presidential run: “Donald Trump has been saying that he will run for president as a Republican, which is surprising, since I just assumed he was running as a joke.” Clearly, “SNL” thought the same thing when Trump once again ran as part of the 2016 election. He was invited to host in November 2015 after having previously hosted back in 2004. No one could’ve possibly guessed what that episode would come to represent…

The worst parts of the Trump episode far outweigh the bad. At one point, Trump tweets mean things about the “SNL” cast members in the middle of a sketch, and one segment provides a glimpse into Trump’s presidency in the year 2018. Steve Forbes had already lost out on the presidency by the time he hosted, but Trump’s campaign was in full swing, so it was odd for “SNL” to give him so much attention, let alone soften his image amidst some of his more controversial policies, like wanting to end birthright citizenship. 

Trump would win the presidency (twice), with “SNL” regularly doing Trump sketches for the decade following the episode. And those sketches feel like too little, too late, like “SNL” trying to atone for not taking Trump as seriously when they should have. 

“SNL” clearly doesn’t have an issue booking controversial guest hosts, and the early ’90s saw them bring on Andrew Dice Clay. The comedian was known for his misogynistic and homophobic material at the time, which he claimed was parody, but that’s hard to suss out when the hysterical laughing doesn’t appear to come from a place of nuance. Still, “SNL” booked Clay, and cast member Nora Dunn sat the show out in protest, not wanting to endorse his material.

His entire outing has a nasty undertone about it, particularly in how the show treated one of its own. Clay’s cold open shows a world in which he never existed, so Dunn does the show but ends up crushed under an amplifier. The rest of the show continues poking fun at itself for booking someone as controversial as Clay, making the whole thing uninteresting at best and spiteful at worst. If you’re going to hire someone who gallivants in offensive humor, you might as well lean into it.

The whole thing feels like “SNL” wants to have its cake and eat it, too. It wants Clay as a host, but it’s going to remind everyone how offensive he is to try to separate the show from the man. It just doesn’t work. 

In the 1970s, “SNL” was far more of an underdog. It was part of the counter culture, doing sketches no other show would dare try. As such, getting Frank Zappa, one of the most innovative musicians of the era, one who defied traditional genre labels, seemed like a perfect fit. Of he was just there to perform music, it probably would’ve turned out fine. But Zappa also hosted that fateful season 4 episode, and the not-ready-for-primetime players met the not-ready-for-primetime musician. 

To be fair, Zappa’s hosting feels like an extension of his music. He’s avant-garde and satirical, frequently breaking the facade of the show to point out the cue cards or read his lines as blandly as possible, making sure everyone was aware they were watching a TV show. “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels notoriously hates improv, so he wasn’t a fan, and Zappa never returned to host. Maybe some can enjoy Zappa’s hosting stint on a meta-textual level, but for anyone who actually wanted to laugh and enjoy some sketch comedy, it was a befuddling affair. 

Louise Lasser has one of the most salacious “Saturday Night Live” monologues in its history, as she loses steam partway through and then has a breakdown and rushes offstage. Lasser has confirmed in the years since that her “SNL” breakdown was all part of the bit, but of course, anyone watching at the time wouldn’t have known that. Lasser starred on “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” at the time, a satirical soap opera, so her monologue could read as a satirical approach on how “Saturday Night Live” guests hosts always have to appear chipper, breaking away that facade. If that was the end of it, Lasser’s stint probably would’ve been remembered just fine, but then the rest of the episode happens. 

Lasser appears disoriented throughout her sketches, often mumbling or outright forgetting her lines. This could also be construed as being part of her satirical act, much like how Zappa a few years later would have a sardonic attitude toward the whole thing. Lasser also reportedly wasn’t happy with the material, viewing one sketch where she had to talk very openly about sex as salacious (Jane Curtin filled the role instead). Perhaps these jabs at “SNL” are fun for the performers, but they make the episodes miserable for anyone watching. 

There was a truly bizarre period in the 2010s when Elon Musk really wanted people to know how funny he was. He has voice acting stints on “The Simpsons,” “South Park,” and “Rick and Morty,” and he shows up in both “The Big Bang Theory” and “Young Sheldon.” The problem with all these performances is that, ignoring everything controversial about Musk, he just isn’t a good performer, especially in animated shows. His deliveries are way too stiff, and there’s no sense of comedic timing. Making him host a “Saturday Night Live” episode feels like a doomed proposition from the start. 

As expected, Musk just isn’t a comedic performer, as much as he seemingly loves memes. But perhaps the least funny thing about Musk’s hosting gig was that he made Chloe Fineman cry. Fineman would later call out Musk for tearing apart one of her sketches, as though he’s more of an authority on comedy than a cast member. One can only hope “SNL” learned from Musk’s appearance (as well as some others) and never has another billionaire guest host ever again. 

There are numerous things that can go wrong with a “SNL” hosting gig. Some hosts can be checked out, but others just aren’t funny, and they can come across as too cocky or get too experimental. This leads to hands-down the worst “SNL” host ever: Steven Seagal. That’s not even our sole opinion, as Lorne Michaels named Seagal as the biggest jerk in the show’s history. That’s probably why most of his material has been cut from his episode on Peacock, with only one sketch of him playing a stern father talking to a leather-clad Chris Farley trying to go out with his daughter. 

It’s for the best, as Seagal is completely out of his element on “SNL.” Plenty of action stars have a sense of humor about themselves, poking fun at their larger-than-life images. But as anyone who’s ever watched one of Seagal’s movies knows, he’s not one of them. It’s rare to see him even crack a smile, and that’s the case here, as Seagal doesn’t seem to want to be there, let alone do any material. Seagal’s lack of humor even reportedly made Michaels consider dropping him mid-week. It probably would’ve been for the best, but now it’s a piece of “SNL” history.