Tina Fey’s impersonation of Sarah Palin may have boosted Saturday Night Live’s (SNL) ratings to a 14-year high, but the real Sarah Palin appearing on the show saw Saturday Night Live reach its highest mark in overnight Nielsen Media Research ratings, since Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan guest hostes the show in March 1994.

As Fey, impersonating the Republican vice presidential nominee answered questions at a news conference, something the latter has not done yet, Palin walked on stage, causing Fey to beat a hasty retreat.  As Palin stood quietly onstage, Alec Baldwin Fey’s ’30 Rock’ co-star came by and mistaking her for Fey, pleaded with Michaels, the show’s executive producer, not to let poor Tina ‘stand with that horrible woman’.

On being introduced to Palin, Baldwin feigning to be embarrassed, complimented the Governor saying she was ‘way hotter in person’, which had Palin retorting ‘your brother Stephen is my favorite Baldwin brother’.

Clearly, Michaels should be grateful to Palin, as this season’s ratings for ‘Saturday Night Live’ at 76%, are higher than last years’ of the same time.