Saturday Night Live: Charli XCX Departs As Musical Guest, Live Audience Removed Due to Rising COVID Cases

By Adam Barnhardt

UPDATE: Musical guest Charli XCX has been forced to withdraw from tonight's episode as musical guest due to the limited crew members allowed at Studio 8H.

"Due to the limited crew at tonight's taping of SNL my musical performance will no longer be able to go ahead. I am devastated and heartbroken," the popstar wrote on social media. "It can't happen this time but I'll be back. I am currently safe and healthy, but of course, very sad. Please look after yourselves out there and make sure you get vaccinated if you haven't already."

The story as it initially appear is below.

As we get near the holiday season, COVID numbers continue to ramp up once again. Over renewed concerns of the rapid spread of COVID-19, Saturday Night Live has now opted to remove the live audience from its taping tonight, Saturday, December 18th. Worries over a new variant are to blame for tonight's removal per a posting on the show's official Twitter account.

Furthermore, the show will only use a barebones cast and crew while it continues following the latest guidelines handed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Due to the recent spike in the Omicron variant and out of an abundance of caution, there will be no live audience for tonight's taping of 'Saturday Night Live' and the show will have limited cast and crew," the show said in a series of tweets.

It added, "The show continues to follow all government safety guidelines in addition to a rigorous testing protocol."

As with other tapings for the live sketch comedy, tickets are awarded on a lottery-type system. As of now, there's no official word on what ticket-winners for tonight's show will do regarding their big win. The show would only say they'll receive "more information soon."

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star Paul Rudd returns tonight for his fifth shot at hosting to live show. In totla, it will be his 10th appearance on the show, having also made five cameos throughout the years.

Rudd is appearing on tonight's show alongside musical guest Charli XCX, who's appearing on the show in support of her upcoming fifth studio album, Crash. It's the pop star's second time on the show, having previously debuted on a Season 40 show on December 13, 2014.

The new Omicron variant has already caused widespread lockdowns in the Netherlands, the first country in the European Union to do so this time around. Virtually all non-essential businesses are shuttered in the country until mid-January, including pubs and restaurants, and other major gathering places. Paris has also canceled its world-renown New Year's Eve fireworks display, and Ireland is forcing business closures at 8 p.m. local time.

Federal officials within the United States have yet to address the Omicron variant in an official capacity. President Joe Biden is currently scheduled to give an address on the matter Tuesday.

Cover photo by Rosalind OConnor/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

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