Ashlee Simpson has spoken about the “insane” bullying that followed her lip-sync fail on Saturday Night Live in 2004.
Simpson appeared as the latest guest on the podcast Pod Meets World, hosted by Rider Strong Danielle Fishel and Will Friedle – who starred in the 1990s teen sitcom Boy Meets World.
Simpson was asked about the highs and lows of her career, including her Saturday Night Live lip-sync fail in 2004, where she was left panicking on stage after her track ‘Pieces of Me’ began to play along with her pre-recorded vocals before she had even raised a microphone to her mouth.
The singer said she was expecting to perform her song ‘Autobiography’, but was caught on camera looking confused before dancing chaotically and then leaving the stage with her band still playing.
Speaking on the podcast, she said: “I think it’s a different era … I think during that time, I mean, the bullying was insane.”
She later said: “But then my whole life, I had to tell people, ‘Oh, but I perform every night,’” Simpson explained. “And I was like, what am I trying to tell people? My fans know. I had to know that in my heart.”
Simpson said that her decision to lip-sync was made because an acid reflux flare-up had affected her voice. Despite her voice being impacted during the appearance, “That doesn’t mean [I] didn’t write these songs,” she said.
“But I think it’s different now. For us, we had the magazines… Now everything’s kinda more fleeting,” added Simpson. “That was more like, ‘Here it is to be on your shoulders forever,’ you know? And I think now everything is, like, a little bit more fleeting and fast.”
You can listen to the full Pod Meets World episode here.
In other Saturday Night Live-related news, the show recently celebrated its 50th anniversary with a host of stars and saw the likes of David Byrne, Arcade Fire and St. Vincent teaming up for a rendition of David Bowie‘s ‘Heroes’, while the surviving members of Nirvana also teamed up with Post Malone for a rendition of the band’s legendary track ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’.
The program has announced plans to launch a UK version of the show in 2026. The late-night sketch show, which was first launched in the US 50 years ago, will debut Saturday Night Live U.K. next year on Sky Max and streaming service NOW.
SNL creator Lorne Michaels will serve as executive producer on the show, which will follow the same live format as its US counterpart, with a selection of top British comics, celebrities and musicians all taking part, according to Variety.
“Sky is bringing NBC’s legendary late-night comedy showcase, Saturday Night Live, to the UK and Ireland in 2026. A star-studded line-up of hosts will take to the stage to declare, ‘Live from London, it’s Saturday Night!’ in this brand-new edition of the programme,” the network said.
