'SNL' FanFavorite Exits After 8 Years, Joins Growing List of Departures Will SayreAugust 28, 2025 at 8:49 PM And... there goes another one. Add Heidi Gardner to the growing list of standout performers who are exiting Saturday Night Live as NBC's iconic show heads into its 51st season.
- - 'SNL' Fan-Favorite Exits After 8 Years, Joins Growing List of Departures
Will SayreAugust 28, 2025 at 8:49 PM
And... there goes another one.
Add Heidi Gardner to the growing list of standout performers who are exiting Saturday Night Live as NBC's iconic show heads into its 51st season.
The news comes amid a shake-up at the sketch comedy series, Variety reported Thursday, Aug. 28, which also saw the departures of Michael Longfellow, Emil Wakim and Devon Walker this week.
Totaling eight seasons with SNL, Gardner, 42, became the longest-tenured current female cast member last year. In season 49, she appeared in more sketches than any other cast member, as Variety noted.
Gardner is perhaps best known for her "Weekend Update" characters on the show, including teen movie critic Bailey Gismert. In the latest seasons, she was spotted in the majority of each episode's sketches due to her recognized versatility.
The laugh-out-loud performer even joined actress roundtables during recent award seasons in an effort to be recognized by the TV Academy for SNL. And she certainly would have deserved a Primetime Emmy nomination.
Earlier on Thursday, it was revealed by Saturday Night Networkthat cast Longfellow will be departing. He was on the show for three seasons.
Saturday Night Network, an independent outlet run by superfans and journalists, provides media coverage and a podcast about NBC's late-night sketch comedy series. It is not directly affiliated with NBC or SNL.
According to Jon Schneider from Saturday Night Network, Longfellow was fired from the show along with Walker and Wakim. Schneider also revealed that "the shakeup isn't over, however, as more phone calls and major decisions are expected to be made today."
Walker had announced his SNL departure on Aug. 25 via Instagram.
"Me and the show did three years together, and sometimes it was really cool. Sometimes it was toxic as hell," he wrote in the post. "But we did what we made the most of what it was, even amidst all of the dysfunction. We made a f---ed up lil family."
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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