I’ve been covering TV for long enough to know the talk of the town each summer, at least in regards to Saturday Night Live, is always about who is coming and going. Each year, newbies and longtime cast members alike tend to exit, and when Season 50 aired on NBC last season, the cast was literally stacked (as was the “terrible” audience). So, it came as no surprise when a slew of longtime names were bandied about as possibly exiting ahead of Season 51, including notable names like Bowen Yang, Michael Che and Colin Jost.
Now, if you’ve been watching the lovely guest hosts pop into Season 51, you should already know these rumors were much ado about nothing. Yang, Che and Jost are all back on the 2025 TV schedule, even amidst a slew of other gigs, like Yang promoting Wicked: For Good as part of the cast. However, the longtime comedians on the show are asked about leaving a lot, and Che and Jost have spoken about potential exits in the past.
Speaking to Howard Stern, Che and Jost got candid about “wanting to leave” the late night sketch series. Che told the shock jock it was mostly because he misses “stand-up.” Jost also appeared during the same episode, and countered what Che was saying a bit, noting his fellow “Weekend Update” co-host does find their 30 Rock work “rewarding.”
First of all, you’re very good at it, and it is rewarding for you even though you often feel like you want to do other stuff. But it is a rewarding thing for you.
So, it’s clear they occasionally think of leaving, but will Season 51 be the last?
One Big Reason Considering Leaving SNL Is Hard For Che (And Jost)
As longtime cast members, SNL isn’t just a blip in the two mens’ careers. Che noted he and Jost have been in the position for so long now, “it’s hard to imagine” what would come next.
I dunno if you feel the same way, but it’s hard to imagine being gone. It’s such a, my brain is on the clock of Saturday Night Live.
For reference, Michael Che joined SNL in 2014 after hopping from The Daily Show specifically to take over the “Weekend Update” desk. Jost has been there significantly longer, joining the NBC series as a writer all the way back in 2005. He received more prominent billing when he sat down at the anchor desk with Che, however. They’ve been at the newsy gig for more than a decade now, which is crazy to think about, and it’s apparently colored their ability to consider doing much else.
It probably doesn’t help there’s so much pressure on the show to deal with all the time. Both men spoke with Stern about trying to “enjoy” their time on set that “year,” despite it often being stressful. At the time, this made it sound at the time like they might have been heading into their last season.
However, whenever this fall’s cast was announced, while the likes of Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim exited, Che and Jost were still behind the desk. Other OG’s like Bowen Yang have said they have “more to do” at SNL. All of this meant the changeover between Season 50 and 51 wasn’t as intense as expected, even with some notable departures.
Now, come Season 52? We’ll have to wait and see. Saturday Night Live is currently on a brief hiatus, but will be back on December 6th; I’d recommend keeping an eye on Saturday Night Live‘s new breakouts, and not just OGs like Che and Jost.