What’s going on at SNL? Fans reveal concerns after mass exodus of stars
What is happening?
Saturday Night Live fans have voiced their fears over the future of the show after a mass exodus of the current cast – with more expected.
Yesterday, Heidi Gardner became the latest comedian to leave ahead of season 51, which premieres in October.
She became a huge fan-favourite in her time on our screens, blessing us with impressions of Jill Biden, and her efforts behind characters including Bailey Gismert, the teenage film critic.
The 42-year-old, who also stars on Apple TV Plus series Shrinking, was also part of the iconic Beavis and Butt-head sketch with Ryan Gosling in 2024, where she famously couldn’t stop laughing.
Who has left SNL so far?Earlier this week, it was announced that Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker and Emil Wakim would be departing SNL, along with Heidi.
Michael Longfellow Michael Longfellow (L) shared the news of his exit on social media (Picture: NBC)Michael spoke out over his exit on Instagram, sharing pictures of some of his most memorable moments.
‘Will not be returning for a 4th season at SNL. Wish I was but, so it goes,’ he said. ‘It was the best three years of my life so far. I feel nothing but gratitude for the experience and everyone there.
‘Lorne, you gave me the greatest job in the world and changed my life. You even put my mom on TV. Thank you doesn’t begin to cover it, but thank you.
‘I’ll miss it all, but I’ll miss the friends I made and seeing them every day the most.’
Devon Walker Devon Walker has been on our screens for three years (Picture: NBC)Devon followed suit with a message on his own social media page, showing a screenshot of a note titled, ‘Wait.. did he quit or did he get fired?’
‘To me, jobs in this industry feel like a bunch of little marriages,’ he began. ‘Some of em last for a long time if we’re lucky, but most of them are fleeting. Permanent until they’re not. That’s the deal. You know what it is when you sign up.
‘Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell. But we did what we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a f**ked up lil family.
‘Anyway, I’m bout to go to Japan. When I get back I’m tryna be in a prestige drama. Ideally something with Julianne Moore. Hope y’all staying hydrated and getting some money today.’
Emil Wakim Emil Wakim described the news a ‘gut punch’ (Picture: NBC)Emil branded the news a ‘gut punch’ in his own Instagram statement, which read: ‘I won’t be returning to SNL next year. It was a gut punch of a call to get but I’m so grateful for my time there.
‘Every time I scanned into the building I would think how insane it is to get to work there. It was the most terrifying, thrilling, and rewarding experience of my life and I will miss it dearly and all the brilliant people that work there that made it feel like a home. Thank u to Lorne for taking a chance on me and changing my life.
‘I was so lucky to bring some of myself in there and say things I believed in and I’m excited for whatever chapter comes next. Here’s to making more art without compromise [sic].’
Heidi Gardner Heidi joined the gang in 2017 (Picture: NBC)SNL fans were shocked to learn that Heidi was leaving the TV series after eight seasons in the cast.
She became the fourth cast member to exit the programme in the past three days.
Prior to her exit, she was the longest-tenured female member of the cast.
The comedic performer boasted several recurring characters, including Angel on the Weekend Update segment and newswoman Bobbi Moore.
How have SNL fans reacted to the exits?The exits come just weeks before the 51st season is set to grace our screens, and mark one of the biggest shake-ups in the show’s history.
Following the announcements, viewers flocked to social media to share their concerns over what could happen to SNL next.
Reddit user Octogenarian said of Heidi’s departure: ‘Wow it’s a bloodbath over at SNL. She’s the third one I’ve heard about at least this week.’
‘Noo this is sad af [sic],’ Low-Photograph-5185 posted.
Calilove08 questioned: ‘What is happening that everybody is leaving?!? Or are they getting fired?’
DiligentTradition734 agreed: ‘I feel like all I’ve read in the past week is a new person leaving SNL. What’s going on lol.’
Shedding some light on the situation, LongTimeGoodTime suggested: ‘Lorne said that people had stayed on for the 50th season when they might have normally left early.
‘So now going into 51 they are doing more changes than there would normally be in one summer. More will probably come.’
She has performed countless sketches in that time (Picture: NBC) Kenan Thompson is currently the longest-serving member of the cast (Picture: NBC)Ashlonadon added: ‘This is not unusual for SNL. Lorne cleans house every 5-10 years as a reset. And honestly, it was time.
‘I’m fine with all the announcements so far. The only one that could hurt me would be Kenan.’
Kenan Thompson is part of the show’s furniture at this point, having joined the cast in 2003.
The Kenan & Kel star has gone on to become the longest-serving member in the history of the show, and is thankfully showing no signs of leaving.
Despite confusion from fans, refreshes on SNL are nothing new, with Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Andy Bryant and Kyle Mooney making their exits in one swoop just three years ago.
What have SNL bosses said about the exits?Last week, show creator Lorne Michaels announced that there would be a shake-up, with the announcements rolling in days later.
Speaking to Puck, he was questioned on whether he had planned to reinvent things after the milestone 50th season celebrations earlier this year.
‘I wanted people coming back and being part of [the 50th season]. So when Kate hosted, Kristen [Wiig] and Maya [Rudolph] came back for it.
‘And that meant there couldn’t be those kind of disruptions [to the cast], or anything that was going to take the focus off [the 50th season]. And we had an election.’
When asked if he feels ‘pressure’ to switch things up for the upcoming episodes, he added: ‘Yeah, for sure. It’ll be announced in a week or so.’
Saturday Night Live season 51 will premiere on October 4, on NBC.
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