Prince Harry was, reportedly, in talks to host Saturday Night Live last year, but the negotiation stalled at the last minute. It was supposed to be part of his promotions for his then-yet-to-be-released memoir, Spare.
The long-running comedy series’ producers were said to be in discussions with Prince Harry before the release of Spare on January 10. So, what happened?
A well-placed TV source told Page Six that the Duke of Sussex was all in for the gig, and he was really serious about doing it, thinking it would be great fun as a promo for his book. The show’s producers, alternatively, were said to be after Meghan Markle’s husband for a while, and everyone who was part of the series was into the idea of having him as a host.
With the controversies surrounding the royal family member, people would surely tune in to see him. Another industry insider confirmed the talks between the two parties, revealing many names were in the mix, but Prince Harry was the most discussed.
However, no one knows why the hosting gig didn’t work out. Instead, Prince Harry ended up doing American TV interviews, like CBS’s 60 Minutes and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
But though it didn’t happen, the insiders also told the publication that Saturday Night Live executive producer Lorne Michaels was fond of the idea of having Prince Harry as the show’s host. I could also see Harry coming on as a surprise in a sketch, the tipster said.
The show has been known for poking fun at the royal family. It once portrayed the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as Cockney mob bosses.
In a recent sketch, it swiped at Prince Harry and his former Eton schoolmates. James Austin Johnson and Devon Walker played British rappers and his classmates Milly Pounds and Shirty on Weekend Update.
Michael Che asked the duo for updates about what was going on with the royal family. Milly Pounds said all the focus was on the royals when it should be on Britain’s exploitative tabloid press instead.
He continued that they were mean to their boy Harry, revealing they knew what really went down since they had known Prince Harry since their days at Eton.
Johnson then started to rap Prince Harry’s name, saying he stayed at Tyler Perry’s. Press cold like Ben and Jerry’s. I’m allergic to dairy, he continued. Walker joined in the fun and mentioned Prince Harry and Meghan’s interracial dating.