NEED TO KNOW
- Ego Nwodim opened up about the future following her recent departure from Saturday Night Live during a panel on Sept. 17
- The comedian shared that she wants to focus on directing and writing more after seven seasons on the comedy series
- Nwodim is one of several cast members leaving SNL ahead of its 51st season
Ego Nwodim is speaking out about her exit from Saturday Night Live.
The comedian, 37, addressed the news during the “Cultural Impact: How Story, Style, and Strategy Shape What’s Next” panel at the 2025 Fast Company Innovation Festival in New York City on Wednesday, Sept. 17. As she reflected on memories from her seven seasons on the iconic sketch comedy show, Nwodim revealed where she plans to take her career next.
“There’s so much I want to do and SNL is always meant to be a stepping stone,” she explained. “There’s so many ideas that I need to have time to create. I’m looking forward to doing that. So directing, more writing in a different capacity. Very excited. It’s an exciting thing.”
She also shared some of her favorite behind-the-scenes memories, including a time when she received a NSFW note informing her that a skit she and Leslie Jones did had been scrapped by the standards team.
Nwodim announced that she was leaving the long-running series on Friday, Sept. 12. She first joined for its 44th season in 2018 as a featured player and was later promoted to the main cast in 2020.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Nwodim thanked the series creator Lorne Michaels and everyone else who was along for the journey with her.
“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight,” she wrote. “But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL. I am immensely grateful to Lorne for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support, and friendship.”
“Week after week on that stage taught me more than I could have ever imagined, and I will carry those memories (and that laughter) with me always ✨🙏🏾😘 ,” she concluded. “Now invite me to your weddings please!!!”
The caption was simply: “‼️‼️‼️”
Her departure followed several of the show’s other stars making the same move. Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow and Heidi Gardner also recently announced their exits from SNL.
Last month, Michaels revealed that there were going to be major cast changes to “shake things up” in the new season, which premieres in October.
“I wanted people coming back and being part of [the 50th season],” the mogul, 80, said. “And that meant there couldn’t be those kind of disruptions or anything that was going to take the focus of [the 50th season].”
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Saturday Night Live season 51 premieres on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
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