SNL is pushing a Cher callback in its holiday promo, and the clip is spreading online. Ariana Grande will host the December 20, 2025, episode of SNL, with Cher set as the musical guest. The promos also feature cast member Bowen Yang, who shares a connection with Grande through Wicked: For Good. In the teaser, the trio stand together backstage, trade a few lines, and let the joke land quickly.
The episode is positioned as the last show before Christmas, and it airs Saturday at 11 p.m. ET. Promo photo captions tie the shoot to Thursday, December 18, 2025, which is why the clip arrived ahead of the live broadcast.
Cher slaps Ariana Grande in the SNL promo, and the dialogue that made it go viral
The main SNL promo opens with Grande doing the standard setup that usually starts these teasers. She introduces herself as the host and names Cher as the musical guest for the December 20 show. Yang steps into the scene right after, with the kind of excited delivery that signals the joke is coming. He greets Grande with,
“Ari, I’m so happy to have you here,”
Then turns toward Cher and asks,
“And Cher, am I dreaming?”
Cher slapped both of them, mostly Bowen Yang, but Grande too comediclly flinched and answered with a line that works on two levels. She says,
“Snap out of it!”
Which is the same phrase tied to her famous moment in Moonstruck. Then she playfully slaps both Grande and Yang, one after the other, as if it were part of a normal greeting. The promo ends on a quick reaction beat. Grande and Yang pause, look forward, then say in sync,
“Cher just slapped us!”
The clip reads cleanly because it keeps everything easy to follow. It gives the audience the basic bulletin first, then it delivers the gag, then it cuts out. Grande is the host. Cher is the musical guest. Yang is the cast member in the frame. After that, the callback does the work, and viewers can share the moment without needing more context.
The headline framing around Wicked also fits what is happening around this booking. Grande plays Glinda in Wicked and returned to the role in Wicked: For Good, and her hosting gig is being covered as part of that acting stretch. Yang’s presence in the promo helps underline the connection, since he is also part of the Wicked: For Good cast.
The Moonstruck callback and the second gift promo that doubles down on Cher’s deadpan
Cher’s “Snap out of it!” is a direct Moonstruck reference, and the promo does not stop to explain the nod. That choice is part of the clip’s appeal. Fans who recognize the line get the callback instantly, and viewers who do not still understand the beat because the action makes the joke clear. A second SNL promo uses the same trio and leans into Cher’s dry delivery again. Cher announces,
“I got you both a gift!”
Yang reacts and asks what it is. Cher replies,
“My presence,”
And the three of them shrug as the clip ends. ABC Audio also notes Saturday marks Cher’s first SNL appearance since 1987, while mentioning she performed at the SNL50 Homecoming Concert earlier this year.
Ariana Grande’s SNL holiday episode details: episode number, air date, and who is performing
Rotten Tomatoes lists the episode as Season 51, Episode 9 of Saturday Night Live, airing December 20, 2025, with Ariana Grande hosting and Cher performing. Photo captions tied to the promo images also identify the night as Episode 1893, and date the promo shoot to Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025.
Outlets report Grande’s promo look drew attention too, since she wore a vintage Bob Mackie dress originally worn by Carol Burnett in 1973 on The Carol Burnett Show, with Law Roach credited as her stylist.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Cher slaps Ariana Grande and Bowen Yang in a SNL Promo. (Image via youtube/@Saturday Night Live)