Ariana Grande recently took the stage to host the final Saturday Night Live episode of 2025, which aired on December 20. The 32-year-old singer and actress delivered an engaging opening monologue, where she playfully addressed the popularity of her previous “Domingo” sketch before transitioning into a humorous take on holiday pressures. Grande delighted the audience with a comedic rendition of Mariah Carey’s iconic 1994 hit, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

During her musical spoof, Grande humorously tackled the stresses of holiday gift shopping and her demanding schedule for the “Wicked: For Good” press tour. She sang, “I don’t know what to get for Christmas for my cousin’s boyfriend Steve,” highlighting the common dilemma of buying gifts for lesser-known acquaintances. She also poked fun at her busy work commitments, lamenting, “Haven’t shopped a lot for Christmas, ’cause my schedule’s never free. Had so much press for Wicked, Jon Chu will not let me pee,” referencing her director Jon M. Chu’s strictness during the tour.

The singer was later joined on stage by her “Wicked” co-star Bowen Yang, alongside several SNL cast members including Kenan Thompson, Sarah Sherman, Chloe Fineman, Veronika Slowikowska, Marcello Hernandez, and Ashley Padilla, adding to the festive and comedic atmosphere of the show.

The episode’s playful nod to Mariah Carey’s holiday classic was timely, as “All I Want for Christmas Is You” recently achieved a significant milestone. The song spent a record-breaking 20th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the longest reign in the chart’s 67-year history, further cementing its status as a holiday staple.

This marked Ariana Grande’s third time hosting Saturday Night Live. The episode also featured a special appearance by legendary pop star Cher, who made her first appearance on the show since 1987. Cher performed her song “DJ Play a Christmas Song” and a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run,” both tracks from her 2023 holiday album, “Christmas.”