‘SNL’ Pulled the Ultimate Ambush — And Colin Jost Never Saw It Coming Just when Colin Jost thought he was safe behind the Weekend Update desk, Saturday Night Live flipped the script — hard. In a surprise joke swap that went completely off the rails, Jost was blindsided live on air, forced to read lines he absolutely did not approve… and the fallout was instant, brutal, and hilarious. His reaction said everything: shock, disbelief, and the slow realization that there was no escape. And of course — because this is SNL — Scarlett Johansson wasn’t spared. What made this moment explode wasn’t just the jokes themselves, but how personal, perfectly timed, and mercilessly awkward it became. The audience roared. Jost froze. And the internet immediately knew this was one of those rare Weekend Update moments people would be replaying for years. Who set him up? How far did the jokes go? And why are fans saying this might be one of the most savage joke swaps in SNL history? This wasn’t a skit. It was a public ambush — and everyone watching knew it

The duo has made a semi-annual tradition out of writing outrageous punchlines for the other to read sight unseen, compelling both comics to make cracks that truly push the boundaries of bad taste.

But during this year’s holiday episode, Jost was under the impression they were skipping the bawdy bit, leaving him completely unprepared for Che’s mischief.

Jost cackled as Che announced it was joke time, telling him, “That’s interesting, because you specifically said that we were not doing it this year … I did not write any jokes for you.”

While off-color quips about slavery and the Catholic church clearly made Jost squirm, he was truly aghast when the teleprompter revealed a roast of his wife, actor Scarlett Johansson.

“New research shows that millions of women leave the workforce due to menopause, which means there’s only a couple years left on my gravy train,” Jost gaped as a photo of his 41-year-old other half popped on the screen.

Barely able to keep his composure as he mocked the mother of his children, he said, “My girl already be like, ‘Colin, I’m warm. Colin, I’m sweating.’ Bitch, you having a hot flash!”

Jost was a good sport, especially given the fact the fake news anchors were supposed to be in a joke swap détente after he was forced to make a filthy joke about his wife’s private parts during the final episode of 2024.

Johansson was backstage when her husband announced that Costco was removing the roast beef sandwich from its menu and then said, “But I ain’t trippin’, I’ve been eating roast beef every night since my wife had the kid.”

The Marvel star ended up getting revenge on Che in May when she made him issue a mortifying on-air apology, which said, “The fact is, I was just lashing out because I’m jealous. I’ve never ever seen a human vagina. And notice I said ‘human’ because I once spent the summer on a farm.”