Saturday Night Live is entering its 51st season with one of the most dramatic cast shake-ups in recent history. The NBC sketch show announced its full lineup just weeks before the Oct. 4 premiere, and the changes include veteran departures, exciting returns, and fresh faces.
Who’s Leaving?
Five performers won’t be back in 30 Rock for Season 51:
- Heidi Gardner: After eight seasons, Gardner—who joined the cast in 2017 and became the longest-tenured female cast member last year—is out. A fan favorite for her “Weekend Update” character, Bailey Gismert, and countless quirky roles, she quickly became a standout on the show. Multiple outlets confirmed her exit in late August. Dana Carvey even weighed in on his Fly on the Wall podcast, saying, “From what I know … it was not her idea to leave,” though he admitted he could be wrong.
- Michael Longfellow: A featured player since 2022, Longfellow delivered witty moments on “Weekend Update” and served as a dry-humored game-show host in sketches such as: “What’s That Name?” He shared gratitude on Instagram, but has confirmed that he’s moving on.
- Devon Walker: Also having joined in 2022, Walker became known for his celebrity impressions. His Instagram post about his departure from the show summed it up: “Sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell.”
- Emil Wakim: After just one season, Wakim called his exit “a gut punch,” but said he was thankful for the wild experience.
- Ego Nwodim: Announcing the news on Sept. 12, Nwodim shared on Instagram that she’s leaving SNL after seven seasons, writing, “The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight.”
writers
Two SNL writers also announced their departures from Studio 8H:
- Rosebud Baker, who has worked on “Weekend Update” since 2022, called the job “like training yourself to be a sociopath” when it came to finding comedy in headlines.
- Celeste Yim, a writer since 2020 and the show’s first out trans staff writer, left after five seasons, thanking Bowen Yang for his support.
Who’s returning?
Despite the exits, 12 performers are confirmed to stay:
- Weekend Update anchors: Colin Jost and Michael Che are back behind the desk.
- Repertory players: Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Marcello Hernandez, James Austin Johnson, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, and Bowen Yang.
- Featured players: Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline.
new featured players
Featured players are newer, “unproven” cast members, who may eventually be promoted to the repertory cast. Season 51 introduces five newcomers:
- Ben Marshall: one-third of the comedy trio Please Don’t Destroy. Marshall joins the cast, while Martin Herlihy stays on the writing staff and John Higgins departs entirely.
- Kam Patterson: a stand-up comic from Orlando, known from the Kill Tony podcast.
- Veronika Slowikowska: Canadian actress and comedian seen in What We Do in the Shadows and I Like Movies.
- Tommy Brennan: a New York comedian and writer with strong sketch experience.
- Jeremy Culhane: a TikTok-savvy comedian and actor, also known for Sex Lives of College Girls.
This brings the total cast to 17, a slightly smaller number than last year’s lineup.
Lorne Michaels on the Shake-Up
SNL creator and executive producer, Lorne Michaels, has been open about why Season 50 kept its cast mostly intact, explaining that the anniversary year needed stability to highlight returning alumni and major guest appearances. He told Puck News during an interview published back on Aug. 22, “I wanted people coming back and being part of [the 50th season] … and that meant there couldn’t be those kinds of disruptions.” Now, with that milestone behind them, Michaels says Season 51 will bring a shake-up: “It’ll be announced in a week or so.”
Season 51 Premiere
Mark your calendars: Season 51 of Saturday Night Live premieres Saturday, Oct. 4, at 11:30 p.m. on NBC and Peacock.
This marks Kenan Thompson’s 23rd season—the longest tenure of any cast member—and Season 51 is expected to feature SNL’s 1,000th episode milestone.
at a glance
- Leaving: Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, Ego Nwodim
- Returning: Colin Jost, Michael Che, Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, Chloe Fineman, Sarah Sherman, Mikey Day, Marcello Hernández, James Austin Johnson, Andrew Dismukes, Ashley Padilla, Jane Wickline
- New: Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, Veronika Slowikowska, Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane
With a mix of farewells, fresh talent, and veteran stability, Season 51 promises to bring the classic unpredictability of SNL—just in time for yet another historic year.