“Saturday Night Live” cast member Ego Nwodim celebrated the end of the show’s historic 50th season the usual way, by socializing on stage in Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
She was there with the host, Scarlett Johansson, the musical guest, Bad Bunny, and fellow cast members. But her heart may have been dreaming of celebrations on the other side of the Atlantic.
Nwodim made sure cameras captured her upper torso as she sported a Crystal Palace jersey with the name of her cousin, English soccer star Eberechi Eze, on the back.
Hours earlier, Eze had helped Palace win the first major trophy in its 120-year professional history, scoring the only goal in the Eagles’ 1-0 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
In a 2023 interview for the Crystal Palace website, Eze revealed the family relation and said he had given Nwodim one of his jerseys.
“That’s my cousin,” he told a team interviewer who asked why an “SNL” cast member had worn his jersey. “She came down to London and I gave her a shirt. So that’s quite sick.”
The shirt Nwodim wore Saturday matches the club’s third shirt from the 2022/23 season. She has worn it at least one other time on the show.
Nwodim and Eze share Igbo Nigerian heritage, with Eze having grown up in his team’s backyard of South London and Nwodim in Baltimore.
The relatives were both a part of history on Saturday. “SNL” completed a 50-season run that launched when it was still a hippie showcase featuring folk stars and psychedelic comedy. Eze led his team to a win at a historic place, too — Wembley Stadium.
