Kanye West held Saturday Night Live cast members 'hostage', says Kenan Thompson

'It’s hard to stand there and not be able to debate somebody who is going so far against your personal opinion'

Saturday Night Live cast member Kenan Thompson has addressed Kanye West’s pro-Donald Trump speech, made during the comedy show’s season premiere.

Appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers, the comedian half-heartedly joked that the cast were “held hostage” as the rapper praised Trump on stage.

Thompson, who is the show’s longest-running cast member, began by explaining that he watched events unfold from backstage.

“I got to watch the circus unfold,” he said. “[West] voiced his opinion very loudly, and for a long time. We’re all entitled to our opinion. I don’t know if that’s the moment, necessarily, to hold people hostage like that.”

West’s speech about Trump was initially unaired but footage - taken by comedian Chris Rock who was in the audience - showed the musician claiming that he was bullied backstage for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.

“As soon as he said, ‘Hey, join me up on stage, everybody,’ I was like, ‘Oh, there goes the little cheese in the mousetrap,’” Thompson told Meyers.

“I felt so bad for those guys because it’s hard to stand there and not be able to debate, you know, somebody who is going so far against your personal opinion, and just stand there and take it.”

Thompson said that the cast try to make all musical guests feel welcome, even those who are “a little bit crazy”, adding: “We don’t judge.”

West was expected to release his ninth studio album, Yandhi, after appearing on SNL. However, the record has since been delayed so he can record in Africa.