SNL's Christmas 2024 edition, hosted by Only Murders in the Building star Martin Short, saw "Weekend Update" anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che do their annual "joke exchange" on their segment.

The tradition often involves both men finding new ways to embarrass the other as they force themselves to read jokes their comedy partner has written, which they have never read before.

Judging by this year's efforts it's fair to say that Che might have gotten one over on Jost who was forced to read all the gags in a "Black voice" before reading a quip saying that Kamala Harris still supports slavery reparations.

However, his next joke was the true surprise as not only was it about Johansson, but she was backstage watching him read it out, with cameras capturing her stunned live reaction.

"I want to dedicate this next joke to my boo, Scarlett Johansson," said Jost, as the Black Widow star looked on in nervous anticipation.

"Oh my gosh, she's so genuinely worried," said Jost, as he briefly broke character.

"Y'all know Scarlett just celebrated her 40th birthday, which means I'm about to get up out of there," said Jost as the cameras cut to Johansson, who was both simultaneously laughing and gobsmacked.

"Shiz! Nah, nah. I'm just playin," he added, barely able to compose himself.

Things weren't done yet for Jost and Johansson though as Che had lined up another joke for them, about their son, who was born in August 2021.

"We just had a kid together, and y'all ain't see no pictures of him yet, because he's Black as hell!" said Jost as a photoshopped image of himself and Johansson appeared behind him, while Johansson quietly sipped a glass of water backstage.

Amazingly, the jokes weren't over for the couple and the final pun that Che had prepared for Jost was even more obscene than the previous two and might require an explanation that we can't possibly write here.

"Costco has removed their roast beef sandwich from its menu, but I ain't tripping. I be eating roast beef every night since my wife had the kid," said Jost causing an eruption of laughter from the entire cast and crew, while Johansson looked genuinely shocked.

Fans were genuinely impressed at the lengths Che went to embarrass his friend and his wife.

One person wrote: "This is easily the most brutal one they've done yet, went straight for the throat on every single joke."

A second viewer added: "Having Scarlett there is a power move!!! Every year Che ups himself."

"It was a beatdown. I'm gonna die of asphyxiation by laughing, omg. I'm in tears," a third fan wrote.

This is hardly the first time that Jost has been tricked into making jokes about the Lost in Translation star.

In July, during another joke swap, Che made Jost say: "ChatGPT has released a new voice assistant feature inspired by Scarlett Johansson's AI character in Her," a nervous Jost told viewers. "Which I've never bothered to watch, because without that body what's the point of listening?"