“Now that's queerbaiting”: Harry Styles makes waves on SNL with Ben Marshall kiss
Saturday Night Live took a bold turn when Harry Styles, back in the host’s seat, shared an unexpected kiss with Ben Marshall live on air. The singer playfully tackled 'queerbaiting' rumours and gave fans something to talk about, all while unveiling his new album.
Harry Styles, known for his chart-topping tracks and ever-watchful public eye, made his return to Saturday Night Live a headline-grabbing spectacle. Right from the start of his monologue, the 32-year-old singer didn’t shy away from the spotlight swirling around his persona. Instead, he leaned in—quite literally—by inviting Ben Marshall, a mainstay in the SNL cast, into the frame for a surprise kiss, then breaking into laughter and saying, “Now that's queerbaiting”. This wasn’t Styles’s first rodeo on SNL, but his energy and wit felt sharper than ever.
Currently topping the charts in the UK, Styles has kept audiences guessing about his next move since his tour wrapped up in 2023. On this SNL night, rather than skirting around the "queerbaiting" label that’s shadowed his stylistic choices and film roles, he addressed it all with flamboyant humour.
“Back then, people seemed to pay a lot of attention to the clothes I was wearing and some people accused me of something called ‘queerbaiting’,” Styles declared, signalling he was ready to take control of the narrative for good.
Harry Styles takes centre stage with bold humour and a new album
The show’s opening skit wasn’t just about shock value—it connected to Styles’s own story of facing intense speculation. At one point, he turned toward Marshall, delivering the now-celebrated line:
“Come on, Ben, everyone knows there's nothing little about that thang. You're hauling a damn wagon back there,” before sharing their infamous kiss.
His jokes didn’t stop there. Turning introspective yet cheeky, Styles teased the audience about his new album, Kiss All the Time, quipping:
“because what’s better than kissing all the time?”
Styles took moments to address the flip side of fame, noting how finishing his Love On Tour in 2023 meant settling into what he called a “boring” routine.
“I took up jogging. There’s nothing interesting about that. But because I’m me, people pretend to find that interesting. I don’t run to be interesting. I do it for the feeling it gives me, that runner’s high. It’s just amazing. Watermelon sugar high, runner’s high. As a British man who spent a lot of his life in the public eye, I can assure you, there’s something nice about being boring. It's better than the alternative.”
Spotlight on public image and community reactions
The episode smartly wove other topical figures into its comedy, showing an exaggerated image of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor looking shocked in a police van, riffing on his recent arrest and adding another layer of tongue-in-cheek commentary on public scandals. Styles then broke the fourth wall with a memorable jibe:
“But did it ever occur to you that maybe you don’t know everything about me, Dad?”
The immediate buzz online showed fans and casual viewers embracing Styles’s irreverent approach. Many social media posts flooded in, with fans cheering, laughing, and expressing genuine surprise at the candid and theatrical moment. For a celebrity repeatedly placed under the microscope, Styles turned scrutiny into spectacle, leaving viewers wondering what his next move and album might reveal about the star he's becoming.
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Harry Styles kisses Ben Marshall on Saturday Night Live while addressing 'queerbaiting' claims
