Saturday Night Live: 30 scandals and secrets you didn’t know
By Jeremy Dick
29. Elvis Costello is banned from the show
Saturday Night Live isn’t thrilled with every special guest they bring on the series. Sometimes they are so put off by the celebrities they bring in, that they vow “never again”. Be prepared to see a small handful of these types of stories on this list.
We’ll start with the second most famous musician to be named Elvis, Elvis Costello. When The Sex Pistols pulled out of an SNL spot in December of 1977, Costello was brought in as a last-minute replacement. NBC would end up regretting this decision.
While playing a song live on the air, Costello interrupted his own set to put a stop to it. He told the audience that there was no reason to play that song. Instead, he launched into his own unscripted rendition of “Radio Radio”. Costello later said he got the idea from Jimi Hendrix, who pulled a similar stunt in a separate television appearance.
SNL producers were furious at Costello going off the script, and he was banned for many years. Eventually, however, he returned to the show. On the 25th anniversary special, he even made reference to the incident and started playing the infamous song again.