Colin Jost, Michael Che shock with new 'SNL' Weekend Update joke swap

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY Sun, May 17, 2026 at 5:30 AM UTC

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The most beloved, jaw-dropping "Saturday Night Live" tradition is back!

On the "SNL" season finale, Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che brought back their recurring joke swap segment, in which the comedians give each other jokes to read on the air for the first time. The jokes are generally shocking and offensive things that the other person wouldn't want to be saying on live television.

The latest edition included some of the segment's most offensive jokes to date, including one that Che was forced to read about the Michael Jackson movie "Michael."

"Since a few members of the Jackson family are actually in the audience tonight, I wanted to take a moment to tell everybody what I really think: Michael Jackson did nothing wrong. He was right to molest all those kids," Che read. "And they were lucky. I would have paid him to do it."

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The jokes Che wrote for Jost were no less objectionable. In particular, Jost was given a joke about Ye, formerly Kanye West, who has been widely condemned for his history of antisemitism.

"Please try to separate the art from the artist and remember that Ye can make awful music and still be right about Hitler," Jost read.

This transitioned into a new twist on the joke swap formula: writing a live stunt into the script.

"Now, that joke is offensive to everybody, and to apologize, I'd like to sacrifice the most important thing in my life: My beautiful, award-winning, world-famous hair," Jost read. "That's right, I'm shaving it off. Send in the barber!"

Previously on 'SNL': Colin Jost reads another shocking Scarlett Johansson joke

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Colin Jost and Michael Che on "Saturday Night Live."

A barber came out and seemed prepared to legitimately shave Jost's head live on the air, but Che stepped in to stop it at the last minute. "You were really going to do it?" a shocked Che asked. "Man, you are the greatest comedian of all time." Jost admitted he was "so scared" as the segment wrapped with his hair intact.

Throughout the rest of the bit, Che had to read jokes about having a small penis, while Jost was forced to read multiple racist jokes, not to mention one about having sex with a disabled Barbie doll.

Colin Jost and Michael Che's best 'SNL' joke swap moments

Jost and Che introduced their joke swap bit on Weekend Update in 2015, though it didn't become a regular segment until 2018. Since then, they have usually revived the bit twice a year, on the Christmas episode and the season finale.

Che almost always gives Jost jokes that make him sound racist, while Jost frequently gives Che jokes that make him sound like a pedophile. "The Palm Beach mansion once owned by Jeffrey Epstein will soon be demolished, and I'm honestly shocked that they would demolish a place where I have so many fond memories. Rest in power, king," Che said in 2020, reading a joke from Jost. In 2024, Che was also forced to read a joke where he said he was at Sean "Diddy" Combs' parties and would help the rapper fight his criminal charges.

On other occasions, Che has made Jost defend Woody Allen and Harvey Weinstein, while Jost has made Che say that "blue lives matter even more" and that Jewish and Muslim people "need Jesus." Other joke swap highlights include Che making Jost tell "SNL" boss Lorne Michaels to retire and Jost making Che diss Kendrick Lamar in an effort to spark a public feud.

Che has also made Jost read numerous jokes about his wife Scarlett Johansson. "New York state now allows movie theaters to serve alcohol, which is how I'm finally able to enjoy my wife's little art movies," Jost read in 2023. Che stepped things up in 2024 by giving Jost a shockingly vulgar joke to read about Johansson and a Costco sandwich, while the "Black Widow" actress was watching from backstage. So for the 2025 season finale, Jost brought Johansson out and made Che read an apology to her.

'Oh, my God!': Colin Jost shocks wife Scarlett Johansson in 'SNL' 'joke swap'

The previous joke swap in Christmas 2025 offered a twist on the formula: When Che introduced the segment, Jost expressed surprise, explaining that Che "specifically said that we were not doing it this year." What followed was a one-sided version of the bit where Jost was the only one to read anything, including a joke about Johansson being his "gravy train."

"You should have wrote some jokes for me to tell," Che quipped.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'SNL' joke swap – Colin Jost almost shaved hair in Michael Che gag

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