Cher returns to 'SNL' after 40 years. Fans wonder if she lip synced.

It only took a mere 40 years, but Cher finally returned to Studio 8H.

The icon graced the “Saturday Night Live” stage as the musical guest Dec. 20, also the show’s final episode of the year.

In a blond wig and pastiche of kitschy pants and a leather jacket, Cher, 79, performed her 2023 holiday song, “DJ Play A Christmas Song.”

The vocoder-heavy track was delivered by the seemingly ageless singer and actress with low-key charm as she smiled at the pack of dancers twirling and spinning around her on the blue-hued stage.

At the end of her performance, Cher did her patented mic clasp and bow before holding her fingers up in a heart.  

Two weeks ago, Cher released another new holiday song, “Christmas Is Here.” But she chose a Christmas classic for her second song of the night.

With The Roots’ Captain Kirk Douglas leading the way on the Chuck Berry guitar notes, Cher showcased the still-rich tones of her voice on Berry’s vintage 1958 hit, “Run, Run Rudolph.”

This time in an ebony wig and black and silver pants ensemble, Cher, a pair of effervescent dancers and a trio of background singers plowed through the song as fake snow fell from the rafters.

Did Cher lip sync on 'SNL'?

After her first number, viewers quickly began speculating that the smiling star might have lip synced during her performance. The incident drew comparisons to Ashlee Simpson, who infamously faced backlash when she was captured undeniably lip syncing on “SNL” in 2004.

“Cher that mic was nowhere near ur mouth for 80% of that snl performance,” @austinpickett_ wrote on X.“Cher holding her mic by her knees and lip syncing is killing me,” @kyab91 wrote.

Regardless, fans were thrilled to see her.

“Cher is the ONLY person that gets a pass for lip syncing on #SNL,” @BrvoUniversitea tweeted. “She’s an icon, lip sync if you want Queen!”

@supermangeek101 wrote: "Cher was definitely not signing live! Which is understandable! Since she’s recovering from losing her voice!"

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Cher and "SNL" for comment.

Though Cher performed during the “SNL50” concert in February to celebrate the show’s milestone, the last time she was tapped as the musical guest was Nov. 21, 1987, about a month before the arrival of her Oscar-winning turn in “Moonstruck.”

The Saturday show was hosted by Ariana Grande and also served as the swan song for cast member Bowen Yang, who announced this week he is leaving 'SNL' after nearly seven years.

Along with her performances, Cher − or her music − was worked into some of the show's bits.

A courtroom skit used her 1998 comeback smash “Believe” as a plot device, with Grande and Kenan Thompson singing modified lyrics to the dance hit.  

And toward the end of the show, Cher appeared as a surprise in a sketch tailored to Yang's departure.

"Everyone thought you were a little bit too gay. But you know what? You're perfect for me," Cher told Yang, smiling and putting her head on his shoulder.

While Cher hasn't officially announced a new album, in an interview with USA TODAY last year to discuss “Cher: The Memoir, Part One,” she said she was working on “some of the greatest songs I’ve ever had – and I don’t use that word lightly because I’m a snob when it comes to music.”

The second part of Cher's expansive autobiography was expected in May, but was recently moved to a Nov. 17, 2026, release date.