Bowen Yang Steals the Spotlight During Ariana Grande’s ‘SNL’ Monologue

Bowen Yang made a memorable exit from Saturday Night Live during Ariana Grande’s monologue on Saturday, marking his final performance as a cast member.

Yang, who also stars in Wicked, surprised the audience by joining Grande as she sang a playful holiday version of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” joking about her struggles to find the perfect gift for her cousin’s boyfriend.

“I panicked and ordered a Yeti mug, the Christmas equivalent of a shrug. What do I get for Christmas for this dude?” Grande sang, drawing laughter from the audience. Yang appeared a few lines into the song and was greeted with loud applause. Grande embraced him on stage with a side-hug after his departure from the show was announced the previous day.

Grande complimented Yang onstage, saying, “Can I just say how much I loved your line in ‘Wicked?’” Yang replied, “Thank you. That was my one line in ‘Wicked: For Good.’”

Other SNL cast members joined in the festive performance, all dressed in Christmas sweaters, and added humorous gift suggestions, like a bath massage coupon or a Cameo from Matthew Morrison. Grande and Yang’s reactions made the segment playful and fun. You can check out the video on YouTube.

Yang’s departure follows a series of exits after SNL’s 50th season, including longtime cast member Heidi Gardner, as well as Ego Nwodim, Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow, and newcomer Emil Wakim. Y

ang first joined the show as a writer in 2018 during Season 44. He became a featured player in Season 45 and was promoted to the main cast in Season 47. Over his tenure, he earned five Emmy nominations, four for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and one for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series.

Reflecting on his time at SNL, Yang shared on Instagram, “I loved working at SNL, and most of all I loved the people. I was there at a time when many things in the world started to seem futile, but working at 30 Rock taught me the value in showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile.”

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