Justin Timberlake dresses up as Elton John to send up Hugo Chavez on Saturday Night Live...and hits back at Kanye West

Justin Timberlake Hugo Chavez Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Justin Timberlake was happy to show the Saturday Night Live audience a few things this weekend.

After dressing up as Elton John to satirise the life of Hugo Chavez, the singer hit back at Kanye West’s criticism of his comeback single “Suit & Tie”.

Taking to the piano in a convincing disguise of Elton John, Timberlake introduced his “eulogy” of the late Venezuelan president in a British accent, saying: “I did a bit of research and it turns out President Chavez was quite a complex man.”

He then began his tribute to the tune of "Candle in the Wind", singing: “Goodbye Hugo C, you had such great style and panache.”

He continued: “You called George Bush the devil when you spoke at the UN, you said he smelled like sulphur and you called him Mr Danger.

“And it seemed to me you lived your life like a candle in the wind, if a candle could pull out two pistols at a press conference.

“You said the US caused earthquakes and you outlawed Coke Zero. On your shoulder stood your parrot with a matching red beret.

“You had your own TV show, it was called Hello President. It wasn’t about politics- you sometimes danced and made up raps. You helped to make a country the kidnapping capital of the world but you also increased milk production but almost 50 per cent.”

Not content with sending up just one public figure, Timberlake then hit back at Kanye West who scorned the single “Suit & Tie” before a concert in London last month by saying: “I got love for Hov [Jay-Z], but I ain’t f***ing with that ‘Suit & Tie’”

During a performance of his comeback single on Saturday Night Live, Timberlake exchanged the lyric: “Shit so sick got a hit and picked up a habit” to “My hit’s so sick got rappers acting dramatic.”

Five years ago Timberlake appeared on Saturday Night Live to perform the debut of his YouTube hit "Dick in a Box".