Heidi Gardner is reportedly leaving Saturday Night Live after eight seasons, marking what fans are calling the most shocking exit yet. Multiple outlets confirmed the news on Thursday, leaving SNL viewers rattled ahead of the show’s 51st season.
Gardner hinted earlier this year that her time at SNL might be winding down. Speaking with Craig Ferguson on his Joy podcast, Gardner admitted she was beginning to feel “sketch fatigue” after years of writing. “At this point, after doing Groundlings and SNL for so long, I'm like, 'I've written a lot of sketches,’” she confessed.
"You just get scared, and it does happen some weeks where I’m like ‘I do not have an idea for a sketch, a game, or a character,'" she continued. “Luckily, we have amazing writers at the show that will be like, 'But I have an idea for you.' That’s the only thing that has gotten a little tough," she added.
The news comes after it was revealed that Michael Longfellow, Emil Wakim, and Devon Walker also won’t return next season, and just months after SNL’s 50th anniversary celebration in February, which Gardner attended alongside dozens of alums.
Season 51 premieres October 4th. Showrunner Lorne Michaels hinted there were changes on Friday, telling Puck News “yes” when asked if he was going to “shake things up” with the cast.
Gardner, 42, joined the cast in 2017 during season 43 as a featured player, entering alongside Luke Null and Chris Redd. By 2019, she had secured her spot in the main cast and became a standout performer.
Before SNL, Gardner trained at the Groundlings in Los Angeles, making her way up the grueling program. She originally worked as a hairstylist before turning to comedy in her early 30s.
Fans wasted no time reacting to her exit online, with one calling Gardner “the heart and soul of the show” and another tweeting bluntly, “Cancel SNL already—what’s even the point if all the talent is leaving?”
It's unclear if Gardner is leaving on her own terms or stepping aside for new talent. From sketch favorites to star impressions, after 8 years, she has made a lasting impression on the show's history.
As for what we can see her do next, she said on the Joy Podcast, "I’d love to have a show that I co-star in and co-write, and it’s a character and it’s a world and it’s a character I get to live in for a while and explore more.”