Another cast member of Saturday Night Live has announced their departure from the late-night sketch show. This marks the fifth cast member to leave as the new season is set to launch next month.
Ego Nwodim, aged 37, shared that she will not be returning to the NBC show after joining the cast in 2018. In a statement, the comedian expressed gratitude to creator Lorne Michaels for the opportunity and confirmed that it was her decision to leave after seven seasons on the show.
Taking to Instagram, Ego posted a statement earlier today saying, “The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight. But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL.” She thanked Lorne, her castmates, writers, and crew for their support and friendship, stating that her time on the show taught her invaluable lessons.
Fans reacted with well wishes and expressions of disappointment over her departure. Some commented, “You will be greatly missed but can’t wait to see what’s ahead,” while others said, “Gonna miss you so much ughhhh,” and “You’ll be very very missed!!!!!”
Ego is the latest in a series of departures from SNL. Devon Walker, 34, was the first to announce his exit last month, hinting at a shift towards appearing in a “prestige drama.” Shortly after, Emil Wakim, 27, and Michael Longfellow, 31, also shared their decisions to leave the show.
Reports indicate that Heidi Gardner, 42, who has been part of SNL since 2017, is also set to depart, although she has not confirmed this ahead of the new season.
Additionally, the Please Don’t Destroy segment, led by John Higgins, Martin Herlihy, and Ben Marshall, will not be returning. John will be leaving to pursue acting opportunities, while Martin transitions to a writer role and Ben joins the main cast for the upcoming season.
According to Vulture, the new season of SNL will see the addition of four new cast members: Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska.
The upcoming season of SNL is scheduled to kick off on October 4 in the US.