US presidential candidate Donald Trump to host Saturday Night Live in November

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the No Labels Problem Solver convention on Oct 12 in Manchester, New Hampshire. PHOTO: AFP

LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) - US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump will be exercising his comedy muscles as the host of NBC's live sketch show Saturday Night Live next month, the network said on Tuesday (Oct 13).

Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination, will host the show with musical guest Sia on Nov 7. It will be the billionaire businessman's second time hosting, following a stint in April 2004.

Actor Taran Killam currently plays Trump in Saturday Night Live sketches, and in the vein of the show, is quite likely to face the real Trump in a skit.

Brash, confident and controversial, Trump, the former host of NBC's Celebrity Apprentice, has already become a hot target for comedians, with Jimmy Fallon parodying him last month with Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton on NBC's The Tonight Show.

Clinton appeared in a cameo role on Saturday Night Live earlier this month, playing a bartender named Val who pokes fun at Trump while chatting with Hillary Clinton, played by cast member Kate McKinnon, about the November 2016 presidential election.

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