Top 10 Colin Jost Moments on SNL

Serving as an SNL staff writer since 2005, Colin Jost made the transition from behind the scenes to in front of the camera in March 2014 when he became the co-anchor of the show’s long standing “Weekend Update” segment. Stepping in as a replacement for an outgoing Seth Meyers, a fresh-faced Colin showcased his comedic talents with ease thanks to jokes centered around Major League Baseball and Joe Biden’s skin care regimen. And, since claiming a seat at the “Update” desk opposite Cecily Strong (and later Michael Che), Jost has gone on to set the record for being the segment’s longest tenured anchor!

When Colin Jost and his then “Saturday Night Live” castmate, Pete Davidson, announced that they bought a retired Staten Island Ferry, the whole thing sounded like it could be an SNL skit. And, well, on a January 2022 episode of the show, it became just that. It started with Jost interacting with recurring guest, “Guy Who Just Bought a Boat”- played with annoying perfection by Alex Moffat. However, it wasn’t long before Moffat’s character sensed something was different about Jost. When Pete Davidson joined in to talk about the ferry deal, things got super silly super-fast. The moment was the perfect sendup to the real-life headline grabbing news.

A true highlight of Colin Jost’s early years behind the “Weekend Update” desk was his time interacting with castmate Leslie Jones. The comedian would often make guest appearances during the faux news segment where she provided commentary on various topics. However, it was her constant flirting with Jost that always brought the biggest laughs. The running gag saw Jones aggressively hit on Colin with, shall we say, unique terms of endearment. Their hilarious and “sexually charged” dynamic became an ingrained part of the show - one that audiences always looked forward to.

Leave it to Sarah Sherman to brutally roast Colin Jost. Seriously – this won’t be the only occasion on this list. In this instance, however, Sherman portrayed CJ Rossitano, a young winner of the annual “Saturday Night Live” ticket lottery. Joining “Weekend Update” to talk about his experience, it quickly became evident that CJ and Colin bore more than a few similarities, including near-identical attires and hairstyles. As the skit played out, CJ and Jost reached a revelatory moment – making it clear they were indeed father and son. The skit was filled with plenty of jokes at Colin’s expense, showing just how much of a good sport he really is!

Some of Colin Jost’s most hilarious jokes come at the expense of politicians and public figures – especially when he pairs their on-screen photo with a descriptive one-liner. Yep, when about to discuss a news story about a particular person of interest, Jost will often preface the piece with a “seen here…” jab referencing the selected individual’s picture. And while he’s taken aim at everyone from Rudy Giuliani to Tucker Carlson, it’s his constant “implied evil” take on US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that serve as the most amusing. We’ll never grow tired of Colin’s quips about an oddly smiling McConnel photo.

A lot of “Weekend Update’s” guest appearances are made all the better thanks to Colin Jost’s inclusion. This was especially the case when Cecily Strong performed at the “Update” desk as Judge Jeanine Pirro. With a wine glass in hand, Colin was always in the “splash zone.” But, in the show’s 2021 season finale, things got extra “splashy.” Strong’s Pirro emerged to criticize President Joe Biden all while spilling her beverage everywhere. But, when she broke out into song and jumped into a giant “box of wine,” she made sure to sling glassfuls of it over her shoulder onto a helpless Jost. It wasn’t long before the host was soaked, and audiences were doubled over in laughter.

We’re just going to say it, Colin Jost and Bowen Yang can do no wrong! One needs not look any further than the time Colin interviewed Bowen as the disgruntled iceberg that was struck by the Titanic. The duo’s “Weekend Update” hijinks continued when Jost accidentally outed Yang’s Oompa Loompa character – mistakenly announcing him as “proud and gay.” The back-and-forth banter between the two was highly amusing, leading to a memorable moment where Colin was offered the chance to “come out” also. We seriously can’t wait to see the pair’s next run-in on “Update,” as it’ll surely be another show highlight.

What does Sarah Sherman have against Colin Jost? We don’t exactly know the root cause of the incessant on-screen roasting, but you can’t argue with the hilarious results. Sherman first came out swinging against Colin on “Weekend Update” in the show’s 47th season. Here, the then featured player devoted her entire segment to tearing down Jost for seemingly innocuous comments. Clearly poking fun at news-style outrage pieces, Sherman would go on to deliver more Colin Jost “hit jobs” in the weeks that followed – pushing her further into fan favorite territory. Have we mentioned how much of a good sport Colin is?

What happens when an episode of “Saturday Night Live” airs on April Fool’s Day? Naturally, a pretty epic prank, that’s what. The bit was executed by Colin Jost’s long-time “Weekend Update” co-anchor, Michael Che. You see, Che had secretly told the audience not to laugh at Colin’s jokes for April Fools. So, when Jost continuously heard tepid responses after his punchlines, he looked genuinely shook, eventually burying his head in his hands. Of course, Che would let his co-anchor in on the joke. A relieved Colin quipped that this was “the meanest thing” Che had ever done, adding he was “covered in sweat.” The audience, on the other hand, was fully amused!

One of the most anticipated segments in current day SNL is Colin Jost and Michael Che's semi-regular tradition of swapping jokes. For this, both men force each other to read jokes that the other has written for them. Of course, they are designed to hilariously shock – and trust us, they always do! If we’re being honest, Michael Che usually gets the best of Colin, setting him up with some very savage material. Che recently introduced a twist to the segment, however, inviting a special guest to listen in – supposed poet, author, and activist, “Dr. Hattie Davis.” This made all the off-color jokes Colin had to recite even worse. Plus, Che had him poke fun at his famous wife, Scarlett Johansson. The joke swap truly is comedy Christmas!