Bowen Yang Shares Gratitude After SNL Exit And Gets Real About The Challenges Of Working There: ‘Out Of Your Control’

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Bowen Yang finished his run on Saturday Night Live at the end of 2025. The comedian’s departure was announced in late December, and he soon confirmed the news with a touching post online. He made his final appearance during the show’s Christmas episode, where he received a send-off. Now, after some time, Yang is sharing the reasons behind his decision to leave SNL, as well as discussing the best and most challenging parts of his time on the show.

Andrew Yang recently discussed leaving Saturday Night Live on his podcast, Las Culturistas, which he co-hosts with Matt Rogers. Rogers had been wanting to talk about this with Yang for a while. Yang said he’s been feeling great since his last show at Studio 8H and explained that several factors outside of his control contributed to his decision to leave.

The real reason behind this is simply timing. Traditionally, shows would run for about seven seasons, then end. But with the instability caused by COVID and the changing entertainment industry, people now have legitimate reasons to stay with a show longer, or unfortunately, can’t stay as long as they’d like. I feel fortunate that I was able to leave after the amount of time I wanted. I was actually considering not returning earlier this year, but I’m really glad I changed my mind.

Bowen Yang started at Saturday Night Live as a writer in 2018, during its 44th season, and quickly became a performing cast member in 2019. He left the show after a memorable final episode that included Ariana Grande, a friend and co-star from Wicked, hosting and Cher performing as the musical guest. During a sketch called “Delta Lounge,” both Grande and Cher gave Bowen a farewell hug while he was still in character. While Bowen shared how much he loved his time on SNL, he also hinted at some difficulties he faced during his time there.

That job really taught me to accept that so much is beyond your control. Even something as simple as whether a joke lands with the audience is unpredictable. There were times, like right up until 12:55 a.m., when I didn’t even know if a sketch would make it to air. I constantly felt like I could be cut at any moment – nothing was ever certain. That feeling really summed up the whole experience, and it stayed with me throughout my time there.

Even famous cast members from Saturday Night Live have admitted the show is incredibly demanding. However, Yang also said he appreciated being a part of it, while acknowledging that it definitely had its difficulties.

Being on SNL is a unique shared experience, but it’s also very individual. Everyone is on their own path, with different challenges and lengths of time on the show. It really mirrors life itself – a lot of hardship that can lead you to question everything, and ultimately force you to find your own purpose. That’s essentially what working at SNL is all about.

Before Yang publicly explained his departure, rumors circulated about why he was leaving SNL. Sources claimed the demanding work schedule was taking a toll on his well-being and making him unhappy. Lorne Michaels, the show’s creator, supposedly even offered Yang a significant sum of money to appear on the first half of the 51st season.

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Bowen Yang appears happy with his choice to leave Saturday Night Live and is looking forward to new projects, including growing his podcast with Rogers. Former cast members like Aidy Bryant and Kenan Thompson have praised his work, and Marcello Hernández highlighted Yang’s success in delivering memorable performances. Yang’s contributions to the show will be remembered, and fans can rewatch his favorite sketches by streaming past episodes on Peacock.

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2026-01-07 22:39