‘SNL’: Harry Styles Sheds His Pants for Skit, and His Fans Lose It

Saturday Night Live viewers went wild when Harry Styles shed his pants on stage this weekend. The pop star was this week’s host and musical guest, and he went all out for both roles. That included one skit where he ripped off his pants and did a bit of a dance, to many fans’ delight.

As often happens on SNL, one stand-out moment from this week’s show is taking over social media. It came at the end of a skit called “Funeral DJs,” where Styles and Chris Redd played two entertainers who could not read the mood in a room. Resting their laptop on an old woman’s coffin, they tried to get a church full of people on their feet with EDM beats.

The skit was pretty funny, with plenty of hard turns and one-liners, but many fans were only interested in the very end. In unison, Styles and Redd faced away from the audience and yanked their break-away pants off, revealing white briefs that read “R.I.P. BETTY” on their rears.

Twitter did one big collective swoon for the skit, which is unsurprising considering Styles’ status as a teenage heartthrob. For many people he is the boy band icon of a generation, both with and without One Direction.

“OK HARRY YOUR BUTT LOOKS FANTASTIC,” one fan wrote, tagging Styles on Twitter.

“Harry Styles did not just rip off his pants,” another fan added incredulously.

“I did not just see Harry Styles ass with my own two f—in eyes,” tweeted a third. “I refuse to believe it.”

It was the highlight of the night for many, especially those who tuned in out of love for Styles and not for SNL itself. Styles is the latest celebrity to pull double duty on the show, serving as both its celebrity guest host and musical guest for the evening. He was there promoting his new solo album, Fine Line, which will be available on Dec. 13.

The response was reportedly huge in the studio as well, where fans began lining up to get a seat three days before the telecast. According to a report by Page Six, Styles was touched to see them waiting out in the cold to see him, so he visited with them and brought them food every day.

Styles is known for his undying appreciation for his fans, even as he reaches the heights of global stardom. In an interview with Rolling Stone this summer, he credited his fan base for being a smart and discerning group.

“They’re the most honest — especially if you’re talking about teenage girls, but older as well,” he said. “They have that bulls— detector. You want honest people as your audience. We’re so past that dumb outdated narrative of ‘Oh, these people are girls, so they don’t know what they’re talking about.’ They’re the ones who know what they’re talking about. They’re the people who listen obsessively. They f—king own this s—. They’re running it.”

Styles’ album is available on Dec. 13, 2019. The next new episode of SNL airs on Nov. 23, with host Will Ferrell and musical guest King Princess.