‘SNL’: Pete Davidson & Bad Bunny Among Hosts As NBC Show Sets Returns With SAG-AFTRA Blessing, Full Cast Comes Back For Season 49 & Chloe Troast Joins

EXCLUSIVE: Saturday Night Live will return with a lot of recognizable faces plus one new one.

Deadline understands that the entire cast from the end of Season 48 are returning for Season 49 and the Lorne Michaels-created show has added one new face – Chloe Troast.

This comes as the NBC show has officially set its return for October 14. Pete Davidson, who was set for a big return to his old stomping ground before the show had to cut short Season 48 due to the writers strike, will kick off the season with rising rapper Ice Spice as musical guest. Davidson is fresh from starring in Dumb Money and the news that his comedy Bupkis was renewed by Peacock for a second season.

The following week – October 21 – will see Bad Bunny pull double duty as host and musical guest. The Puerto Rican rapper previously performed in 2021 but this marks his first time on hosting duties.

We hear that SNL‘s return comes with the full blessing of SAG-AFTRA. While the actors union is still on strike and are currently in talks with the studios, the Lorne Michaels-created variety show is able to return in the same way that late-night shows such as The Tonight Show and The Late Show can, as can daytime talk shows and reality shows as they fall under SAG-AFTRA’s Network Code. It will, however, be buoyed by receiving the go-ahead from the actors union.

“Our members appearing on Saturday Night Live either as hosts, guests, or cast members are working under the Network Code agreement, which is not a contract we are striking. They are not in violation of SAG-AFTRA strike rules, and we support them in fulfilling their contractual obligations,” the union said.

The cast returning includes Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, Punkie Johnson, Colin Jost, Ego Nwodim, Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang. Cecily Strong departed mid-season.

James Austin Johnson, who became a breakout for his impersonations of Donald Trump and Joe Biden, and Sarah Sherman, whose quirky style went viral with her Meatballs sketch, have also been promoted from featured players to repertory status this season.

CHLOE TROAST

They will be joined by Chloe Troast, who has worked closely with SNL’s Please Don’t Destroy – the writing and performing group that consists of Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy.

Troast is set to appear in the trio’s forthcoming feature, The Treasure of Foggy Mountain, which debuts on Peacock on November 17.

Troast, who we hear came close to landing a performer slot last year, is perhaps best known for or co-writing and starring in the popular webseries The Basics. The New Jersey native was recently named to Just For Laughs’ New Faces of Comedy Class of 2023 and will also soon be seen starring opposite Kiernan Shipka in the college rom-com Sweethearts, which is produced by New Line for Max. She is also working on Adult Swim Smalls series Good Service.

A member of the sketch teams A Crazy Amazing Friendship and LISA, who has also grabbed attention with her solo show An Evening with Pepper Slit, Troast is represented by UTA and Authentic.