Bowen Yang has confirmed he is leaving “Saturday Night Live,” ending his run with an on-air farewell that turned the show’s Christmas episode into a goodbye lap. The episode, hosted by Ariana Grande with Cher as musical guest, aired Saturday night on NBC and Peacock and closed with a sketch that doubled as Yang’s sendoff.
In the final sketch, Yang played a Delta lounge worker pulling his last shift on Christmas Eve, pouring eggnog for travelers while the scene kept slipping from character work into something more direct. He sang “Please Come Home for Christmas,” then joined Grande and Cher in a brief trio, with hugs at the finish. At one point, he addressed the room with visible emotion, saying he “just wanted to enjoy it for a little longer.” The sketch gave him moments with castmates during the goodbye tour, including a bit where he sprayed Kenan Thompson with eggnog.
Earlier Saturday, Yang posted a message confirming the exit and thanked the show’s writers, cast, crews and audiences. “I loved working at SNL, and most of all I loved the people,” he wrote, adding that he was “grateful for every minute” at the show. He also singled out Grande for hosting his final night and thanked longtime producer Lorne Michaels.
Yang joined “SNL” as a writer in 2018, moved on-camera the next season, and became a main cast member a few years later, earning multiple Emmy nominations during his tenure. His departure lands during a period of heavy cast turnover, after several longtime players exited ahead of the current season. Yang had previously described weighing his future at the show and said Michaels encouraged him to stay, telling him, “You have more to do.” Midseason exits remain uncommon, though the show has made room for them before.
