<P> A typical episode of SNL will feature a single host, who delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast . While the format also features a musical guest, and a number of episodes have featured celebrity cameos, the focus of this article is the guest host . </P> <P> George Carlin was first to host the show; Candice Bergen was the first woman to host the show a few weeks later and again hosted only six weeks after that . Guests that host five times (or more) are members of the Five - Timers Club (see below)--a term that originated on December 8, 1990, when Tom Hanks became the seventh person to host their fifth episode . Every so often, a host will also be the musical guest, such as first seen with Paul Simon on October 18, 1975, and, most recently, Drake on May 14, 2016 . </P> <P> Saturday Night Live has featured a wide array of hosts and musical guests . George Carlin served as the show's first host in October 1975; three episodes later, Candice Bergen became the first female host and the first to host more than once . Actor Alec Baldwin holds the record for most times hosting, having performed the duty on seventeen different occasions since 1990; Baldwin took the record from actor Steve Martin who has hosted fifteen times since 1976 . </P> <P> Several former cast members have returned to take on hosting duties . Original cast member Chevy Chase has hosted the most times, eight in total . Bill Murray and Tina Fey follow behind, having hosted five times . On December 11, 1982, Eddie Murphy became the only person to host while still a member of the cast, filling the role at the last minute when the scheduled host (his 48 Hours co-star Nick Nolte) became ill . </P>

How many times has alec baldwin hosted snl