Elon Musk hosting SNL was ‘alibi’ to clear him of involvement in Chinese rocket falling to Earth, jokes Colin Jost

Comedian suggested Tesla CEO’s guest slot might have been a decoy

Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost has suggested that Elon Musk’s hosting stint might have been a decoy.

The sketch show’s “Weekend update” segment jokingly suggested that the Tesla CEO’s guest host slot may have been an “alibi” exonerating him of any involvement in the Chinese rocket that has crashed to Earth.

The rocket was launched in late April, but soon began an uncontrolled re-entry leaving many concerned where exactly it would plummet to.

According to organisations who had been tracking it, the out-of-control rocket fell over the Indian Ocean in the early hours of Sunday (9 May), which happened to be during the broadcast of SNL.

Update the audience on the status of the falling rocket, Jost said: “I don't know if you guys were following the news today but a space rocket that was spinning out of control just minutes ago crashed into the ocean –and for once we know it's not Elon’s fault.”

Referencing the controversy surrounding the Tesla CEO’s appointment as guest host, Jost added: “A lot of people have been asking, ‘Why is he hosting our show?’ but now we know: he needed an alibi.”

Elon Musk divided ‘SNL’ viewers with ‘surreal’ guest host stint (YouTube)

The website Space-Track, which had been publishing official data from the US Space Force, said in a tweet that people tracking the rocket “can relax”. “The rocket is down,” it wrote.

Musk divided viewers with his “surreal” SNL stint, in which he incorrectly claimed he was the first person with Asperger’s syndrome to have ever hosted the show and poked fun at the pronunciation of his child’s unusual name.