Shortly after teasing whether he’d ever return to *Saturday Night Live*, Pete Davidson reunited with his pals at the ‘Weekend Update’ desk. The SNL alum, who was part of the cast from 2014 to 2022, joined Colin Jost to discuss the “money-losing fiasco” that is their decommissioned Staten Island Ferry, which they purchased in 2022 with plans to turn it into an entertainment venue.
“So yeah, in case you’re wondering why I had to do a show in Saudi Arabia, we’re losing millions on this ferry,” he joked during the segment, making light of his appearance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. “I assume that’s what the article says; I can’t spend $5 on a paywall when I got a kid on the way.”
Davidson continued, “I’m just excited to be a dad and give it all the energy and enthusiasm I never had for this show.” Jost quipped, “I will tell you on the other side, I prefer having a kid to the ferry.”
Davidson noted they “even gave the boat a new name,” adding, “We thought the Staten Island Ferry sounded too depressing, so now it’s called the Titanic II.”
Meanwhile, despite recent reports to the contrary, Jost said their venture is “going very well,” mentioning their recent Nike sponsorship for the NYC Marathon.
“If Lorne Michaels has taught us anything, it’s that you never, ever give up, even if everyone says the time has come and Tina Fey is ready to take over,” joked Davidson.
Davidson also shared his “great idea to make this ferry more of a success” following Zohran Mamdani‘s mayoral election victory.
“We just had an election, and if you don’t mind I have a message for everyone who did not vote for our new mayor: ‘Hey, Staten Islanders. Did you promise to move out of New York if Mamdani won, but have too many warrants for New Jersey and not enough guns for Florida? Well, welcome to New Staten Island. It will have everything that makes Staten Island great: the pizza,’” he said, abruptly ending the list.
“We can’t call it the Titanic anymore since the people on this ship will actually love running into ICE,” Davidson added.
He concluded, “My point is, the ferry, it’s fine. Sometimes, the news just makes things worse than they are. Like how everyone was sure certain people would be exposed and ruined for being on the Epstein list. But look, it’s 2025 and all three of us are still up here.”
https://deadline.com/2025/11/pete-davidson-returns-snl-roast-staten-island-ferry-1236611916/