Comedy
SNL Shake-Up: Heidi Gardner and Michael Longfellow Join Wave of Departures Ahead of Season 51
While SNL has weathered decades of transitions, its 51st season arrives at a pivotal moment: audiences are increasingly fragmented across streaming platforms, and sketch comedy faces stiff competition from TikTok creators and viral internet humour.
Saturday Night Live is bracing for major change as Heidi Gardner and Michael Longfellow announced their exits from the iconic sketch show, making them the third and fourth cast members to depart this week.
Heidi Gardner, who joined the cast in 2017, spent eight seasons on SNL, developing a reputation for her offbeat, neurotic characters and audience favorites like Angel, every boxer’s girlfriend in every boxing movie ever. Longfellow, meanwhile, had a three-season run, often leaning into dry, understated humor.
Their departures add to a growing list of shake-ups ahead of Season 51, which premieres October 4, 2025 on NBC.
Four Exits in One Week
Heidi Gardner and Michael Longfellow’s announcements follow the exits of Devon Walker and Emil Wakim earlier in the week.
On Monday, Devon Walker revealed on Instagram that he was leaving after three seasons, describing his time on SNL as “a little marriage” while also acknowledging that the work environment was sometimes “toxic as hell.”
Two days later, Emil Wakim shared that he, too, was leaving after just one season, calling the decision “a gut punch of a call to get” but expressing gratitude for the opportunity.
That makes four departures in just five days, signaling one of the more dramatic reshuffles in recent years.
Michael Longfellow SNL
What’s Next for Saturday Night Live
Almost every year, SNL undergoes cast changes before its fall premiere, but this wave of exits suggests larger structural changes are on the horizon. Last week, creator and longtime executive producer Lorne Michaels hinted to Puck that “major changes” were coming to the cast, though he stopped short of giving details.
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New cast members are expected to be announced soon, as SNL looks to balance its veteran performers with fresh comedic voices.
The departures also raise questions about the show’s workplace culture, particularly after Devon Walker’s candid comments about toxicity. While SNL has weathered decades of transitions, its 51st season arrives at a pivotal moment: audiences are increasingly fragmented across streaming platforms, and sketch comedy faces stiff competition from TikTok creators and viral internet humour.
