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.

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.”

The SNL stars not returning for Season 51 include Heidi Gardner (after eight seasons), Michal Longfellow (after three seasons), Devon Walker (after three seasons), Emil Wakim (after one season), and John Higgins, who was part of the Please Don’t Destroy troupe that joined the late-night show in 2021.

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.

"Saturday Night Live" boss Lorne Michaels has finally addressed the sketch show's huge cast shake-up ahead of Season 51, saying "change is good."

Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels finally addressed the shock exits of some of the show’s cast members earlier this month. “The show has always brought people in from new, different ages and different generations,

It was previously announced that Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow, and Heidi Gardner are also leaving “SNL.” Gardner, 42, who joined the show for season 43 in 2017, has yet to publicly address her exit. Walker, 34, Wakim, 27, and Longfellow, 31, have all spoken out via Instagram.

And the people we’re bringing in I’m really excited about.” Though obviously still rooted in the traditional broadcast television variety genre, Lorne Michaels and Saturday Night Live have developed a strong relationship with the web in its modern era.

Newman was one of the original stars on Saturday Night Live when it made its debut on Oct. 11, 1975. The original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” also included John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, and more.

Kirk, 31, was shot and killed as he spoke during a campus event at Utah Valley University on September 10. The right-wing activist was the founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth movement. Newsweek has emailed a representative for Pratt outside of regular working hours for comment.