Harry Styles surprises fans during Ryan Gosling’s SNL monologue; Anoushka Shankar joins Gorillaz for special performance

Pop star Harry Styles made an unexpected appearance during the monologue, just a day after releasing his fourth studio album Kiss All The Time Disco.

• Ryan Gosling hosted SNL, promoting his film Project Hail Mary
• Harry Styles surprised fans during Gosling's monologue.
• Anoushka Shankar performed with Gorillaz, Asha Puthli, Black Thought

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Actor Ryan Gosling returned to host Saturday Night Live for the fourth time, delivering a lively episode filled with humour, surprise cameos, and memorable musical moments. The episode came as Gosling prepares for the release of his upcoming sci-fi film Project Hail Mary.

During the show, Gosling shared the stage with several SNL cast members including Colin Jost, Ashley Padilla, Sarah Sherman, Mikey Day, and Kenan Thompson.

He began the night with a monologue packed with jokes about his upcoming movie before launching into a playful musical number about Earth. But the biggest surprises of the night came from the audience and the stage.

Thank you, Ryan Gosling, @Gorillaz, @Harry_Styles, Del the Funky Homosapien, Anoushka Shankar, Asha Puthli, and Black Thought! pic.twitter.com/GK2HdO7XHi

— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) March 8, 2026

Pop star Harry Styles made an unexpected appearance during the monologue, just a day after releasing his fourth studio album Kiss All The Time Disco.

Gosling began his monologue by reflecting on the excitement of hosting the show in New York during March before suddenly noticing someone familiar in the audience.

“Is that Harry Styles?” he asked. The camera swung over to Styles, who grinned as the crowd went nuts. “What are you doing here, man?” Gosling asked. Styles shrugged, “I’m hosting next week and it’s been a while, so I just wanted to watch, get a feel for it.”

Gosling laughed, “That’s so professional. I just wish someone would have told me. I have a new movie coming out, it’s called Project Harry Styles. Nope — but that’d be a good movie. It’s actually called ‘Project Hail Mary’.”

Styles, who is set to serve as both host and musical guest on March 13, remained seated in the audience while Gosling continued the monologue.

At one point, as Gosling attempted to sing about the “pale blue dot” and his upcoming sci-fi film, the camera repeatedly shifted focus to Styles instead, adding to the playful tone of the segment.

The actor also tried performing Styles’ popular track Sign of the Times right in front of the singer. However, the attempt quickly turned into a comedic moment when Gosling’s voice cracked mid-performance. Soon after, other SNL cast members joined him onstage to help finish the musical bit.

Meanwhile, renowned sitarist Anoushka Shankar joined musical guests Gorillaz for a special performance that also featured appearances by Asha Puthli and Black Thought.

Also read: Sitarist Anoushka Shankar honours Pandit Ravi Shankar’s legacy with a three-day music festival

Later in the episode, the show delivered another unexpected highlight. Anoushka Shankar appeared alongside Gorillaz for their song The Moon Cave.

The collaboration brought together a diverse lineup of artists on the SNL stage. Asha Puthli, Black Thought, and Shankar performed together, blending multiple musical traditions and styles in a performance that stood out from the show’s usual lineup.