Phoebe Waller-Bridge will make SNL fans wish she was in the cast

Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge is hosting Saturday Night Live this week and is set to steal the show.

Just a few weeks removed from taking over the Emmy Awards, Phoebe Waller-Bridge is set to take over Saturday Night Live. The Fleabag creator/writer/star is hosting this week with musical guest Taylor Swift.

Waller-Bridge will be following last week’s season 45 hosted by Woody Harrelson. Despite Last Night On’s forecast, the show wasn’t exactly a smash hit ratings wise. However, Saturday Night Live fans reacted positively even if the general audience didn’t tune in by the millions.

Perhaps the past week will give SNL writers and performers a chance to assess what worked and what didn’t from the premiere. The show went heavy on the impeachment news and the predictable tone of the show may have convinced some viewers to not bother watching.

But anyone who doesn’t watch this week runs a good chance of regretting it. That is due in large part to the talent of Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Expect the first-time host to make a big splash and ensure that she is invited back to Saturday Night Live again and again.

Waller-Bridge has all the tools necessary to be a successful SNL host. She has a massive amount of buzz surrounding her thanks to the success of her shows Fleabag and Killing Eve at the Emmy Awards. Viewers who were unfamiliar with Waller-Bridge before certainly recognize the name now and SNL may be their first chance to see her as a performer.

Waller-Bridge performing career began at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London before making her professional debut in 2009. She has performed in several high-profile plays since then, winning multiple awards for her talent. The live aspect of Saturday Night Live shouldn’t intimidate Waller-Bridge.

The actress also has the comedic chops to shine on SNL. Fleabag just won Outstanding Comedy Series and her theater credits include comedies like Hay Fever, Twelfth Night. Her sitcom Crashing was also popular as the comedic relief she brought to the movie Solo: A Star Wars Story as L3-37 was praised. Her recent interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers gives a pretty good indication of her sense of humor, too.

Waller-Bridge’s abilities as a writer will also come in handy this week. She is more than capable of punching up a sketch or providing her own spin on an idea. Some hosts arrive at SNL and want to be used by the writers and cast in whatever way serves the show. Waller-Bridge can do that while also bringing her award-winning writing talents to the table. There is no arguing she knows how to create a character.

So if all of Waller-Bridge’s talents and abilities are used the right way, the episode should finish among the season’s best. Expect Waller-Bridge to set the standard for season 45 hosts and leave Saturday Night Live fans wishing she was in Studio 8H more often.

Saturday Night Live with host Phoebe Waller-Bridge and musical guest Taylor Swift airs Oct. 5 at 11:30 PM ET on NBC. Don’t be surprised to see Swift pop up in a sketch or two either. And don’t be surprised when Waller-Bridge is all the talk after the show.