Jennifer Hudson Reveals Why She Turned Down an Offer to Host “Saturday Night Live”

Jennifer Hudson has travel a agelong way!

During a recent section of The Jennifer Hudson Show, the actress, 43, discussed nan milestone 50th play of Saturday Night Live with guests Keke Palmer, who has hosted, and Eddie Murphy, an alum of nan series. While reflecting connected their experiences connected nan beloved series, nan 64-year-old comedian realized he had ne'er seen Hudson return nan iconic stage.

"Have you ever hosted?" he questioned.

"You cognize what, Eddie? It's funny you asked that. They wanted maine to big Saturday Night Live,” she revealed.

"You should beryllium nan big and philharmonic guest!" Murphy quickly exclaimed arsenic Palmer enthusiastically agreed, “Yes, yes!”

Thanking her guests and nan cheering audience, Hudson offered an explanation.

"Hold on, Eddie, wait, wait, slow down!” she teased. “Oh, you conscionable made maine nervous.”

"They wanted maine to big correct aft Dreamgirls,” nan American Idol alum noted of her 2006 debut film, which besides starred Murphy. “But y'all, if you didn't know, nationalist speaking was my biggest fear. So I was wholly intimidated. I was for illustration ‘No.’ I turned it down.”

In nan astir 20 years since, Hudson acknowledged that she has flooded her shape fright, highlighting nan irony that she has taken connected her ain talk show.

“Now I whitethorn consciousness much prepared,” she admitted. “But nan thought of it stresses maine out.”

As Palmer insisted that Hudson “would termination it” connected nan sketch drama show, she continued to lukewarm up to nan idea.

“You deliberation so? Okay,” Hudson conceded. “With your encouragement, I possibly could do it.”

Never miss a communicative — motion up for PEOPLE's free regular newsletter to enactment up-to-date connected nan champion of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from personage news to compelling human-interest stories.

Despite her hesitation astir appearing connected SNL, Hudson has recovered monolithic occurrence passim her profession arsenic a singer, actress, shaper and talk show host. In June 2022, she became nan 17th personification to earn EGOT status aft winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award. 

"It's a immense grant and has been an ongoing celebration," she told PEOPLE astatine nan time. "I consciousness for illustration it opens nan abstraction for maine to beryllium capable to prime and take much of what I want to do, but that's been my full career. I for illustration to lead by my bosom and what I'm passionate about."

Still, she confessed nary of her achievements person travel without immoderate worry.

"Everything I do makes maine anxious, but you will ever spot maine try," Hudson said. "I emotion breaking caller ground. All of it [causes] worry and fearfulness — but that's really we grow."