Just when you thought the Shane Gillis controversy was over, new details have emerged about his Saturday Night Live casting. According to a new report from Variety‘s Joe Otterson and Michael Schneider, SNL boss Lorne Michaels cast Gillis in an attempt to appeal to conservative viewers, many of whom have condemned the show for its perceived “liberal bias.” Michaels’ gambit clearly backfired, but sources tell Variety that the entire process was a “learning lesson,” as new cast members will now undergo a “much more extensive vetting process” before joining the show.

According to Variety, Michaels is keenly aware that Saturday Night Live‘s non-stop coverage of the Trump administration has given it a bad rap among conservatives. In an attempt to appeal to more viewers, the longtime boss was “actively looking” to cast a more conservative comedian who could help “counteract the appearance of a liberal bias.” Sources say that as a result of this directive, Gillis’ casting process was different from many of his (former) co-stars: rather than audition with character bits and celebrity impressions, as many comics recruited from The Groundlings or UCB would do, Gillis likely “auditioned using a portion of his stand-up routine.”

The jokes in Gillis’ carefully curated stand-up routine weren’t the problem (he was named a New Face at the 2019 Just for Laugh Festival); the jokes made his podcast, Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast, were what made waves. Just a few hours after Gillis’ hiring was announced on Thursday, videos resurfaced of him using racist and homophobic slurs and misogynistic language in multiple podcast episodes, including some from as recently as September 2018. Gillis offered a half-baked apology Thursday evening, saying, “I’m a comedian who pushes boundaries… I’m happy to apologize to anyone who’s actually offended by anything I’ve said.”

Variety reports that Michaels “took the weekend to gather information” before responding to the controversy. On Monday afternoon, SNL officially fired Gillis for his history of “offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable” language. “We were not aware of his prior remarks that have surfaced over the past few days,” said a statement released on behalf of Michaels. “We are sorry that we did not see these clips earlier, and that our vetting process was not up to our standard.”

Sources close to the situation echoed that sentiment. They tell Variety that the vetting process for Gillis was “severely lacking,” especially because Gillis is “well-known in comedy circles for using the type of language and remarks that ultimately led to the show cutting ties with him.” Insiders add that in the future, new cast members will undergo a “much more extensive vetting process” before they are officially hired.

Saturday Night Live begins its new season on September 28 with host Woody Harrelson and musical guest Billie Eilish. For more on Shane Gillis’ hiring (and eventual firing), read Variety’s report here.

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