The news follows a string of recent cast departures as the storied program prepares for its 51st season. Devon Walker, Emil Wakim and Michael Longfellow have said they're leaving the show. Multiple news outlets reported that cast mainstay Heidi Gardner was also departing the show.

Saturday Night Live, the iconic comedy variety show created by producer ... Hacks star Jean Smart hosted the premiere of SNL 50, while former cast member Pete Davidson opened the 49th season, and Miles Teller of Top Gun: Maverick hosted the premiere ...

The “Saturday Night Live” shake-up continues, as Ben Marshall has been upped to the featured cast. Also joining as featured players are Veronika Slowikowska, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson and Tommy Brennan. The news is part of a larger roster refresh at “SNL,” which this week saw the departure of Heidi Gardner after eight seasons, Michael …

Gardner joined the show as a featured player in 2017 and became a main cast member in 2019, making her the longest-running woman in the current cast. Wakim joined the show last year as a featured player and called his exit a “gut punch.”

SNL ostensibly finalized its season 51 cast earlier this month, though Ego Nwodim announced her departure a few days later. Other departing cast members include Heidi Gardner, Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow,

After a blockbuster 50th season of "Saturday Night Live," five new cast members will join the sketch series, which comes on the heels of several departures.

Cast veterans Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner headlined the turnover. Michael Longfellow, Emil Wakim and Devon Walker also departed. The 50th anniversary season was the most-watched in three years ― spurred in part by it being an election year, according to Michaels.

This lengthens their record as the longest-running Update hosts in Saturday Night Live history with over ten years behind the desk. Mikey Day, who had the most screentime last season, returns for his ninth season as a performer (12th with the show overall,

Ego Nwodim is one of the Saturday Night Live stars not returning for Season 51 of the NBC late-night sketch show. Although it was believed that the cast for SNL 51 had been set, Nwodim just confirmed she would not be returning this fall.