Stars Not Returning for ‘SNL’ Season 51

The new season of ‘Saturday Night Live’ arrives with a fresh lineup and some big goodbyes. NBC has confirmed an October premiere and the run up to it brought a wave of announcements from performers who wrapped their time on the show after the milestone fiftieth season. Their exits set the stage for new voices at Studio 8H while closing chapters for players who helped carry the show in recent years.

Each of these departures came directly from the stars through social posts or interviews, often paired with thanks to the crew and cast. Below you will find who is stepping away and what they did on the show, along with projects and credits that help explain where they are headed next and how their time on the series fit into their wider careers.

Heidi Gardner

Heidi Gardner leaves after eight seasons that began with season forty three and included a promotion to the main cast. She anchored recurring bits on the show, created characters like Bailey Gismert and Angel, and handled impressions that ranged from Jill Biden to Kim Kardashian. She was also a key player in the viral ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ classroom sketch that broke through far beyond regular viewers of the series.

Outside the show she has been building a screen résumé with appearances in ‘Shrinking’ and ‘Girls5eva’ on streaming, a role in the Adam Sandler film ‘Hustle’, and a guest spot on ‘You’. Her experience with the Groundlings before joining the series and her steady presence on ‘Weekend Update’ made her one of the most visible performers across the last few seasons, and her exit opens space for newer cast members to take on more material.

Michael Longfellow

Michael Longfellow departs after three seasons that began in season forty eight. He started as a featured player and earned a promotion to the repertory cast for the fiftieth season. Viewers came to know him for concise sets at the ‘Weekend Update’ desk and for sketches that leaned on his dry delivery, which made him a reliable utility player across a wide mix of live shows.

He continues to tour as a stand up and recently appeared in ‘Good Burger 2’. His path to the show ran through festival sets and late night appearances, and his time on the series added live comedy and character work to that foundation. With the move away from the ensemble he returns attention to stand up dates and screen roles developed during hiatus weeks.

Devon Walker

Devon Walker exits after three seasons that also began with season forty eight. He contributed to sketches across the board and wrote material that paired him with multiple cast members, while showing up at the ‘Weekend Update’ desk for short sets during the last two years. His announcement thanked the crew and described the experience as intense and formative, which is common for performers who balance writing rooms and live performance weeks.

He has an active stand up schedule and has worked on writing and punch up outside the series. His background includes festival runs and writers room credits that preceded his hiring, and the end of his tenure aligns with new touring plans and an interest in screen roles beyond sketch. He leaves a slot that will likely be filled by a new featured player when the show returns.

Emil Wakim

Emil Wakim departs after one season with the show. He joined for the fiftieth season and spent the year in featured roles while working behind the scenes on sketches. His exit post suggested that his contract was not renewed, which happens with first year players when the series adjusts the ensemble after a large anniversary season.

Before joining the series he built a profile on the club circuit and through festival appearances, and he leaves with national exposure that often leads to specials and support slots on major tours. His single season included stage time in multiple live episodes and table reads that sharpened his writing, experience that commonly translates into new opportunities in stand up and television development.

Celeste Yim

Celeste Yim is not returning to ‘Saturday Night Live’ for season 51 after five seasons on the writing staff. They joined the show in 2020 and were later elevated to writing supervisor in 2023 during the latter half of season 48. During their tenure they became the show’s first out trans and nonbinary writer and announced their departure with a message of thanks to colleagues and viewers.

Before joining ‘Saturday Night Live’ they built a career in Toronto comedy and playwriting, earning recognition from the New York Foundation for the Arts and Lambda Literary. On the show they contributed to desk pieces and live sketches across multiple hosts and collaborated frequently with cast members including Bowen Yang, while also adding credits outside the series such as work on ‘Life & Beth’ and live comedy events.

Tell us who you will miss most from the departing group and which new faces you hope to see step up in the comments.