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Are Weekend Update Kings Colin Jost And Michael Che Really Leaving 'SNL'? Gonna Cry

I shan’t ever forget the historic 50th season of Saturday Night Live — the season that gifted us “get me to god’s country,” multiple versions of the Domingo sketch, and the fake Marcello Hernandez and Sabrina Carpenter lore we all needed. (If you don’t ship them, I don’t trust you.) Oh, and there was also the very iconic three-hour 50th anniversary special featuring Sabrina, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Chevy Chase, Chris Rock, and a bunch more legends. But all good things must come to an end: On May 17, the memorable season will wrap up with Scarlett Johansson hosting the finale and Bad Bunny blessing 30 Rock with his musical genius and insane face card. Sigh. I’m already nostalgic for season 50 and it’s literally still happening.

We’re only saying goodbye to the show for a few months, but we might be saying goodbye to certain cast members for good. TikTok’s convinced that we’re losing a few major stars of the show, which has me panicking. So, who’s leaving SNL after season 50? Let’s break down the distressing rumors about Michael Che, Colin Jost, Heidi Gardner, and Mikey Day.

Which Cast Members Are Leaving Saturday Night Live? Rumors, Theories

Is Michael Che Leaving SNL?

Michael Che
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In February, Michael claimed that this season is his last. “I’m not coming back, don’t worry,” he said during a standup show at the University of Rochester. “I’m done, it’s over for me. It’s been so much fun. It’s a little emotional, it’s bittersweet.” But obviously, this was standup, so it’s unclear if he was being serious.

Michal has been teasing his exit for a while now, so honestly, who TF knows when it’s actually happening. In May 2022, he told The New York Times his “head has been at leaving for the past five seasons.” The comedian added, “I do think that I’ve been here longer than I’ll be here. This show is built for younger voices, and at some point, there’ll be something more exciting to watch at the halfway mark of the show than me and dumb Jost.”

Is Colin Jost Leaving SNL?

Colin Jost
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And what about Michael’s partner in crime? I fear ScarJo hosting the finale might mean it’s the end of the SNL road for Colin… This is just a guess, of course, but that would obviously be the ideal last episode for him. Plus, Colin’s been busy with Pop Culture Jeopardy! and he’s reportedly working on new show ideas with Michael Davies, the executive producer of the Amazon gameshow.

Is Heidi Gardner Leaving SNL?

Heidi Gardner
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I feel like Heidi might’ve soft-launched her leaving in February when she said SNL has been a “little tough” for her recently. “I will say the only thing that I’ve started to feel a little bit is just sketch fatigue, or idea fatigue,” she said on Craig Ferguson’s podcast, Joy. “At this point, after doing Groundlings and SNL for so long, I’m like, ‘I’ve written a lot of sketches.’” That’s so valid, but we want more, queen!

Is Mikey Day Leaving SNL?

Mikey Day
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Mikey did not not have a reassuring answer when Deadline asked if he plans on returning for season 51: “Who knows what the future will bring?” There’s a solid chance he’ll move on from the show after nine seasons as a cast member.

Ilana Frost
Ilana Frost is an entertainment writer at Betches. As a teenage girl in her twenties, she spends her time stanning Olivia Rodrigo, baking cakes for award shows, and refusing to ever leave her Reputation era.