Tina Fey has taken a more reflective view of her time at “Saturday Night Live” and admits that not all jokes she helped to put on air have aged as well as she had hoped. The comedian admitted that she was “on wrong side” during certain moments of her tenure. She spoke at the 2026 “History Talks” edition.
Fey, despite this admission, pushed back against the idea that the show “SNL” has ever tried to steer an explicit political narrative. She insisted that the show’s influence has always come more from reflecting culture than controlling it.
Tina Fey Admits Some ‘SNL’ jokes crossed the line
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Fey takes a candid look at her early career in comedy, admitting not all jokes she made on “Saturday Night Live”, aged as she intended. She had spent years working as a writer and performer for the flagship U.S. edition of the show before she took over the hosting duties last month.
Fey recalled defining moments of that era at a recent HistoryTalks, including the return to the show after the September 11 attacks.
The comedian acknowledged that while she has no regrets over the time she spent on the long-running NBC show, some of her material was not up to par.
Fey said, “I was pretty dMB and not much better today, but there are jokes where I’m like ‘Oh yeah I was on that side’.”
Fey says ‘SNL” never tried to control politics
Fey also rebuffed the idea that Saturday Night Live ever sought to shape political narratives. She insisted the show’s strategy was much more measured behind-the-scenes.
Fey, who spoke at the event said that she was often fascinated to see how seriously audiences can take what is meant to be a comedy. She explained that this awareness was made especially clear when she worked with Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler and others on a series of sketches centered around Sarah Palin for a six-week period.
Fey described the team’s efforts to strike a balance of satire and accuracy.
Tina Fey Joked She’s ‘Youngest’ ‘SNL UK’ Host
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Fey brought her trademark wit to the UK’s stage last month. She delivered a monologue for the British version “Saturday Night Live”, which leaned on the same self-awareness that defined her rise as an American comedian.
Fey thanked the audience for the opportunity and joked that she was “the youngest person” to ever host the show.
She then reintroduced her self to the audience in a playful way, saying “You might know me as a teacher from ‘Mean Girls’, or you might remember me from many years ago when I played Sarah Palin for ‘SNL U.S.’ Or you may feel that you recognize me as a lady from the TV show ‘Veep’. And that’s okay too! Let’s go for it!”
The Actress Dropped F Bomb During ‘SNL UK Debut’
The show then delivered a more Fey-esque performance, including a sarcastic comment about how “nobody really knows” why an American was selected to host the premiere episode.
When “Bridgerton’s” Nicola Coughlan questioned her about why she thought she was chosen, “Veep’s” alumna responded, “How can I put it politely ?… none of you f*ckers would do this!”
The moment was not unnoticed. Fey didn’t hesitate when Michael Cera pointed it out.
She responded, “Yeah we can swear in this version,” pointing out the main difference between “SNL” in the U.S.A. and the UK.
Tina Fey’s upcoming projects
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Fey has several projects lined up in the months to come.
Later this year, the comic will return to the small-screen for Season 2 of “The Four Seasons”, reprising her role as Kate along with a returning ensemble, including Will Forte, Colman Dominicingo, Marco Calvani Kerri Kenney Silver, and Erik Henningsen.
Fey has also returned to development mode. In March, PEOPLE announced that Fey would be adapting Elle Cosimano’s bestselling mystery “Finlay Donovan is Killing It,” marking a new collaboration with Lang Fisher. She was her creative partner for “The Four Seasons.”
