‘SNL’ to air without live audience, Charli XCX amid omicron

By MALLIKA SEN
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — People’s Sexiest Man Alive of 2021 is set to be inducted into the vaunted Five-Timers Club on “Saturday Night Live,” but the surging omicron variant of the coronavirus means there won’t be a live audience to see it happen. The long-running sketch comedy show announced on social media Saturday afternoon that the night’s episode would tape without a live audience and with only limited cast and crew as a precaution against the Omicron variant. “Ant-Man” star Paul Rudd is the host. British pop star Charli XCX was scheduled to be the night’s musical guest. But she announced that she would not be allowed to perform Saturday afternoon, citing the limited crew for the taping.