United Kingdom, Feb. 3 -- 'Saturday Night Live' creator Lorne Michaels insists any reports that special guests have been "banned" from the late-night sketch show are false.

The 80-year-old producer has addressed the many rumours about stars - including late musicians Sinead O'Connor and Frank Zappa - being handed lifetime bans from appearing on the long-running programme, claiming they are "way too crass and opportunistic" to be woke about any controversial comments made by their celebrity guests.

Speaking in the new documentary 'Ladies and Gentleman. 50 Years of SNL Music', he is quoted by Billboard as saying: "I'll read it sometimes in the [New York] Post, 'So and so's banned for life'.

"We've never banned anyone. We're way too crass...