Bowen Yang is leaving "Saturday Night Live" after eight seasons.
Yang confirmed his mid-season exit early Saturday morning after rumors began circulating Friday afternoon that he was leaving the show. His final episode, which will be hosted by his "Wicked" co-star Ariana Grande, will air tonight, Dec. 20. Cher will perform. This will be the last Season 51 episode of 2025. The season will resume in January 2026.
"I loved working at SNL, and most of all I loved the people. I was there at a time when many things in the world started to seem futile, but working at 30 Rock taught me the value in showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile. I'm grateful for every minute of my time there," Yang wrote on Instagram, sharing a carousel of photos from his time there.
The comedian and actor, who joined the late-night sketch comedy series during Season 44 as a writer before being promoted to the cast, also reflected on his time at Studio 8H.
"I learned about myself (bad with wigs). I learned about others (generous, vulnerable, hot). I learned that human error can be nothing but correct. I learned that comedy is mostly logistics and that it will usually fail until it doesn't, which is the best," he said.
The "Las Culturisatas" podcast host went on to individually thank the show's cast members, writers, and the wardrobe and makeup departments. He extended his biggest thank you to the show's longtime producer, Lorne Michaels.
"Thank you to Lorne for the job, for the standard, and for bringing everyone at work together. They all care deeply about people in the room -- any room -- enjoying themselves. I can't believe I was ever included in that. The show doesn't go on because it's ready, but s---, I hope I am."
Yang did not share why he's departing from the show.
His exit follows the major exodus that came ahead of Season 51, which premiered on Oct. 4. Ego Nwodim, Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, and John Higgins did not return for the latest installment.
Additionally, Higgins' departure was announced in tandem with his fellow Please Don't Destroy member Martin Herlihy, who was moved to the writing staff. The third member of the group, Ben Marshall, was promoted to cast as a featured player.
Veronika Slowikowska, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and Tommy Brennan also joined the show as featured players.