In the midst of New York’s major omicron variant-fueled coronavirus outbreak, “Saturday Night Live” will air without a live studio audience. Charli XCX’s performance has been cancelled.
“Due to the recent surge in the Omicron variant and for the sake of safety, there will be no live audience for tonight’s filming of ‘Saturday Night Live,’ and the show will have a limited cast and crew,” “SNL” stated on Twitter. “The program continues to adhere to all government safety rules, as well as a stringent testing regimen.”
The host is Paul Rudd. Charli XCX was scheduled to perform, however, she stated on Saturday afternoon through Twitter that she would not be singing.
heya just to clear up any confusion i didn’t decide to cancel or pull out of the show tonight! We were informed at around 3pm ish that my segment of the show wouldn’t be able to go ahead for everyone’s safety and so there was nothing we could do 💔
— Charli (@charli_xcx) December 19, 2021
Charlie clarified few minutes ago “heya just to clear up any confusion i didn’t decide to cancel or pull out of the show tonight! We were informed at around 3pm ish that my segment of the show wouldn’t be able to go ahead for everyone’s safety and so there was nothing we could do.”
“My musical performances will no longer be able to go through due to the restricted crew at tonight’s taping of SNL,” she wrote. “I am heartbroken and crushed.” Caroline [Polachek], Christine [and the Queens], and all of our crews and teams have worked tirelessly all week with the SNL team to bring the most incredible musical performances to life. It’s not going to happen this time, but I’ll be back!”
Anyone who purchased a ticket for the episode will receive an update soon, according to the show, which thanked everyone for their “patience and understanding.”
According to data from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office, New York State established a new record on Friday, reporting 21,027 cases – more COVID-19 infections than any other day during the pandemic.
2014 baby me on snl vs 2021 grown me. tune in tonight 🎆🩸@nbcsnl pic.twitter.com/D4oSd5L085
— Charli (@charli_xcx) December 18, 2021
While “SNL” must go on, other Manhattan staples cannot, with at least six Broadway shows postponing performances this week due to positive tests, and Radio City’s renowned annual “Christmas Spectacular” announcing on Friday that the Rockettes will finish their season early.