“I’m really excited”: Lorne Michaels explains why the major “Saturday Night Live” cast shakeup is “good”

SNL boss Lorne Michaels attempted to reassure fans about the recent cast changes ahead of the new season at this weekend's Emmy Awards.

The Saturday Night Live creator just earned his 22nd, 23rd, and 24th Emmy awards thanks to SNL50: The Anniversary Special. The special won Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Outstanding Emerging Media Program, and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special.

Michaels has been in charge of SNL for most of its 50-year run, and the recent cast shakeups have people talking.

Michaels: "Change is good"

While on the Emmys red carpet, Michaels spoke to Entertainment Tonight about the significant changes coming for the show's 51st season.

“The show has always brought people in from different ages and different generations, and it’s how it revives itself,” Michaels explained.

“It’s always hard when people leave, but there’s a time for that, and our audiences always stayed relatively young, and more so now with TikTok, and change is good. And the people we’re bringing in I’m really excited about.” You can watch the interview below:

Who is leaving SNL?

It was revealed this week that Ego Nwodim would be leaving SNL after seven seasons.

"The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight," she wrote on Instagram. "But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL."

Previously announced departures include Heidi Gardner, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker.

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."

Longfellow confirmed he won't be back for a fourth season on Instagram. He wrote, "Wish I was," which implies it was not his decision to leave the show. As for Walker, he jokingly referred to his departure after three years as a "break-up."

A handful of writers are also leaving SNL, as Celeste Yim, Rosebud Baker, and Steven Castillo are all exiting. This marks Castillo's second departure from the writing staff. He initially wrote for the show from 2017 to 2021 before returning for the 50th season.

Who is staying on SNL?

SNL's 51st season is set to premiere on October 4th. Currently, it's unclear if there will be any more cuts from the cast.

For now, the returning cast members include Colin Jost, Michael Che, Kenan Thompson, Mikey Day, Bowen Yang, Chloe Fineman, Andrew Dismukes, Sarah Sherman, James Austin Johnson, Marcello Hernández, ​​Ashley Padilla, and Jane Wickline.

Newcomers include Ben Marshall, Veronika Slowikowska, Jeremy Culhane, Tommy Brennan, and Kam Patterson.

Fans share concerns online

Despite Lorne's comments, many have taken to social media to express their worries over the show's new season.

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