During a recent episode of Saturday Night Live, actress Dakota Johnson made an unexpected appearance. She played the role of the other woman in a live musical performance by singer Lily Allen. The moment was a highlight of the December 13, 2025, episode, which was hosted by actor Josh O’Connor.
Lily Allen was the musical guest for the night. She performed the song “Madeline” from her latest album, West End Girl. The song’s story involves a wife confronting her husband’s mistress, who is named Madeline. For the performance on the SNL stage, Johnson took on that role, acting out the mistress’s text message responses live.
Behind the Song and the Cameo
The performance created buzz because of the song’s rumored real-life inspiration. Lily Allen’s album West End Girl has been widely discussed in connection to her personal life. Reports link several songs on the album to her recent divorce from actor David Harbour, who is known for Stranger Things.
In “Madeline,” the narrator discovers a text from a woman named Madeline on her partner’s phone. Allen has stated that Madeline is a “fictional character” and described the album as “a mixture of fact and fiction”. This context made Johnson’s on-stage portrayal as the mistress a talking point for viewers.
For the performance, Johnson was partially hidden behind a sheer curtain on a bed, texting on a phone. She delivered spoken-word lines that were written as text message replies from Madeline to the singer.
“Hey, he is telling you the truth. Our relationship has only ever been about sex. I can promise you that this is not an emotional connection,” Johnson’s character said.
She continued, addressing the wife’s pain and questioning whether she had truly consented to the affair. The performance ended with Johnson emerging from behind the curtain and giving Allen a kiss on the cheek.
A New Season for SNL
This surprise cameo happened during SNL’s 51st season, which began airing in October 2025. The show has introduced a significantly changed cast this year, adding five new Featured Players.
The new cast members for Season 51 are Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska. They joined returning stars like Kenan Thompson, the longest-running cast member in the show’s history, and “Weekend Update” anchors Michael Che and Colin Jost.
This new lineup followed several high-profile exits. Cast members who left after Season 50 include Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Emil Wakim, and Devon Walker. Show creator Lorne Michaels had expressed a “pressure to reinvent this season” following the show’s major 50th-anniversary celebrations.
Lily Allen’s Musical Return to Studio 8H
For Lily Allen, the December 13 episode marked a notable return. It was her first time as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live since 2007. During the show, she performed two songs from West End Girl: “Sleepwalking” and, with Johnson, “Madeline”.
Allen released West End Girl suddenly in October 2025, with less than a week’s public notice. She has said she wrote the album quickly during a low period, stating, “it took something to happen in my life, for everything to be blown up, for me to be able to go, ‘Oh, here she is.’”. The album and its singles have received strong reviews from music critics.
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Episode Highlights and Audience Reaction
The rest of the episode, hosted by Josh O’Connor, featured typical SNL sketches and segments. In his opening monologue, O’Connor humorously addressed online rumors about him potentially starring in a live-action Ratatouille movie.
The “Weekend Update” segment featured commentary from cast member Marcello Hernández and a musical performance by featured player Jane Wickline, who sang about Stranger Things conspiracy theories.
Fan discussions and recaps of the episode online noted the strength of Allen’s performances and the effectiveness of Johnson’s surprise cameo. The dramatic and cheeky live staging of “Madeline” was seen as a standout moment in the show.
Saturday Night Live Season 51 will take its annual holiday break. The next episode is scheduled for January 2025 and will feature former SNL cast member Amy Poehler as host, with Role Model as the musical guest.
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