Saturday Night Live’s Ego Nwodim Leaving After 7 Seasons

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Saturday Night Live is losing another one of its beloved stars.

Veteran cast member Ego Nwodim has revealed that she will be departing from the renowned late-night sketch series on NBC after having spent seven seasons with the program.

In her Instagram Stories on September 12, the comedian expressed that the most challenging aspect of an amazing party is knowing when it’s time to call it a night. However, after seven remarkable seasons, she has chosen to bid farewell to Saturday Night Live.

I am deeply appreciative of Lorne Michaels, my castmates, the writers, and the entire crew for their talent, assistance, and camaraderie,” Nwodim added. “Each week on stage gave me lessons I never expected, and those experiences, along with the joy they brought, will stay with me forever.

In keeping with Nwodim’s signature style, she ended her note with a humorous request: “Don’t forget to invite me to your wedding celebrations now!

Nwodim is one of five ‘Saturday Night Live’ cast members who have recently announced their exit, marking a significant change in the show’s main cast for season 51.

Last month, Emil Wakim revealed he’s exiting after just one season.

On Instagram, Emil wrote that the call he received was a tough blow, yet he’s grateful for his time there. He also expressed enthusiasm about the future, stating, ‘Let’s create more art without any limitations. Here’s to the new chapter!’

Devon Walker, along with Michael Longfellow and Heidi Gardner, who’s been a consistent cast member since 2017, bid farewell to 30 Rock as well.

But with so many SNL vets moving on, there’s now plenty of room for fresh faces.

This month, it was revealed that Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska will make their first appearances in Studio H8 during the premiere of season 51 on October 4th.

Among those who will be reprising their roles for another round of laughter-inducing performances are Kenan Thompson, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Bowen Yang, Marcello Hernández, Sarah Sherman, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, and James Austin Johnson.

In the meantime, keep reading to see more TV stars who shocked fans by leaving their hit shows.

On separate occasions, all the main cast members of Saturday Night Live revealed their decision to not continue with the show for its 51st season, announcements made close together in time.

Longfellow and Walker each spent three seasons on SNL while Wakim exited after just one season.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I find it my duty to share that in alignment with the evolving expectations of our audience, I’ve decided to take a step back from joining “The Valley” for its upcoming third season. The second season witnessed some concerns arising among fans regarding my conduct during the show, and I believe this decision will allow me time to reflect and grow personally. I appreciate your support and understanding throughout this journey, and I look forward to continuing to engage with you all in a positive and authentic manner moving forward.

Currently, it’s crucial that I concentrate on maintaining my sobriety, addressing my mental well-being, and shared parenting. This Bravo celebrity, who’s going through a contentious divorce from his estranged spouse, Brittany Cartwright, expressed this in July 2025. Spending time like this is essential for me to develop into the best possible version of myself, particularly for our son, Cruz.

In the summer of 2025, Sofia Mattsson departed from the prolonged daytime drama series following a seven-year stint portraying Sasha Gilmore. Her on-screen persona chose to relocate from Port Charles to Paris.

In a stunning turn of events, fans were taken aback in 2025 when it came to light that Mehcad Brooks would be departing the long-running NBC crime drama before the start of season 25.

Brooks, who joined the show in 2022, portrayed Detective Jalen Shaw for three seasons.

Tracy Ifeachor, a significant character in the successful first season of the HBO Max medical drama, decided to part ways with the show following its conclusion.

On Instagram, July 10th, the actress expressed her profound gratitude for the opportunity to portray Dr. Heather Collins during an outstanding season and production. She thanked all those who tuned in, showed their support for Season 1, and shared their personal stories with her.

It’s likely that viewers could have anticipated that Pedro Pascal’s character Joel Miller wouldn’t last much longer, given his on-screen demise in April 2025 mirrored his fate in “The Last of Us Part II,” the video game upon which season two of “The Last of Us” is based. The scene where his character was gruesomely impaled left quite an impact.

Meanwhile, Pascal, who met an onscreen demise in both ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, accepted his frequent death role with humor. “I get killed quite often,” he quipped to ‘Entertainment Weekly’. “I enjoy dying.

In a thrilling twist, I bid adieu to my character, Bobby Nash, the indomitable LAFD captain in the gripping series “9-1-1,” during a captivating episode that aired on April 2025. This chapter of my career marked the end of one wild adventure.

In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, Krause expressed that Bobby Nash was crafted with sacrifice in mind and tailored for this role. Firefighters and emergency responders put their lives on the line every day for us, and his character development pays tribute to them.

Discussing the controversial death of the troubled yet cherished firefighter character, showrunner Tim Minear confessed to Variety, “This subject has been a buzz, but after eight years in the series, it seemed necessary for us to move forward and create stories with real impact if someone had to perish.

Summer just got a little less fun.

Back in June 2025, I found myself compelled to bid a heartfelt farewell to the mesmerizing world of Bravo series, where I had been a captivated and dedicated fan for an astounding seven seasons. The inimitable Paige DeSorbo was the one who shared this bittersweet news with us all.

The Giggly Squad podcast co-host expressed her gratitude to fans on Instagram, acknowledging the 7 summers she’s spent growing with them and cherishing the memories, camaraderie, and experiences shared. She said that, just as with every good thing (and some less favorable choices), it is now time for this phase of her journey to end.

In the throes of excitement, here I stand, a dedicated admirer, eagerly awaiting the upcoming fifth season of the beloved Netflix series. However, it pains me deeply to reveal that, as confirmed by the captivating French actress herself in April 2025, she will not be gracing our screens with her spellbinding performance this time around.

With a heart full of gratitude for this amazing ride, I’ve chosen to part ways from ‘Emily in Paris’, as I penned down in an Instagram post dated April 23rd, adorned with snapshots of my time on set alongside my cherished co-stars. The journey has been nothing short of exceptional, offering me countless opportunities for personal growth, artistic exploration, and memories that will forever stay etched in my mind.

In anticipation of the third season of “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” it was recently shared by Reneé Rapp that she will not be returning for the Max series.

In her social media post dated July 2023, she expressed that her college friends relocated her to Los Angeles, where she met some of her dearest companions. After two and a half years, this transition has led her to form connections like you all and this community.

In a confirmation, Mindy Kaling, one of the show’s co-creators, also acknowledged Rapp’s departure. On her Instagram Stories, she expressed, “We are deeply fond of @reneerapp and, sadly, will miss Leighton Murray. Although we’ll be saying goodbye, we eagerly look forward to catching our friend on tour as his music career thrives!

Over a year ago, there were reports suggesting that Kevin Costner had suddenly decided to leave the popular Paramount drama after completing four and a half seasons. In June 2024, he officially confirmed that he would not be returning for the series’ fifth and final season.

Ellen Pompeo, who had portrayed Meredith Grey for 19 years, hung up her scrubs permanently as a regular cast member in the ABC drama, concluding her long-running role in February 2023.

On The Drew Barrymore Show in December 2022, Pompeo expressed a desire to try something fresh, stating, “I feel the need for a change,” since her brain is like scrambled eggs and doing the same thing every day, such as completing the New York Times crossword puzzle, becomes monotonous.

Henry Cavill, known for his role in Batman vs. Superman, has announced he’s leaving Netflix’s fantasy series after its third season. Liam Hemsworth is set to take over the role of Geralt from the fourth season onwards, possibly continuing into future seasons as well.

“Throughout my role as Geralt of Rivia, I’ve encountered a mix of monstrous challenges and thrilling adventures, as stated in an Instagram post from October 2022. Regrettably, it seems that I will be hanging up my medallion and swords for Season 4.”

Originally portrayed by Jesse Lee Soffer, the character of Detective Jay Halstead bid farewell in 2022, concluding a decade-long journey on the show, with Soffer leaving behind memories cherished from his memorable performance.

In his statement following his last episode on the weekly NBC drama, Soffer expressed that crafting each hour-long episode felt like a passionate endeavor for everyone involved in the show. He also stated with pride that he considers his time portraying Detective Jay Halstead to be significant.

After five seasons, Damian Lewis departed Showtime’s Billions in Oct. 2021.

By August 2021, it became known that Emily VanCamp decided to bid farewell to her medical career on the TV show “The Resident” on Fox.

Following three seasons of being enchanted by the role, Madeleine Mantock, who portrayed the eldest sister Macy on the CW’s reboot of Charmed, announced her departure prior to season four in 2021. In a statement, she expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity, stating how much she had “thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with our talented producers, creative team, cast, and crew.

It transpired that Elizabeth Keen would never learn the truth about Raymond Reddington’s identity, as Megan Boone decided to depart from NBC’s The Blacklist at the end of season eight. Regrettably, her character was written off before she could read the letter that would have disclosed all the secrets. In 2021, Boone expressed on Instagram that playing Liz was like living a dream.

In season two of “Bridgerton,” we were missing a duke as Rege-Jean Page, who had become a sensation on Netflix with his role, chose to not return in 2021, much to the dismay of fans everywhere.

Later on, he clarified to Vanity Fair that he had taken on a task, completed it, and then went on to do some additional tasks. In essence, that’s the gist of the story. He lamented that it wasn’t as glamorous as one might imagine.

Ruby Rose first appeared as Batwoman (Kate Kane) in the Arrowverse crossover in 2018, becoming the first lesbian superhero to headline her own show on television. After starring in one season of The CW drama, she announced her departure from the role two days after the season finale aired in 2020. Javicia Leslie later took over the role, portraying a new character named Ryan Wilder who will assume control of the Batcave in season two.

Later on in season two, Kate got a bit of a face swap and returned played by Wallis Day.

America Ferrera chose to depart from the show “Superstore” at the close of its fifth season in 2020, which left Cloud 9 without a manager and the series without its main character. However, due to the pandemic, she appeared in the initial two episodes of season six. When it was announced that season six would be the last, she returned for the series finale to provide Amy and Jonah (Ben Feldman) with a fittingly happy ending.

In the last episode of the fourth season of The Magicians on Syfy, Jason Ralph’s character Quentin embarked on a mission to rescue Eliot (Hale Appleman), but ultimately gave his life in the process. Although the show often includes deceased characters given its title, Ralph did not reappear for the fifth and concluding season.

Ahead of the final season, Arrow‘s Emily Bett Rickards announced her exit in a poem of sorts.

Felicity and I have a very strong bond, but after the numbers one through seven, she mentioned that we’ll be parting ways,” she wrote.

She did, however, return for a guest appearance in the show’s 2020 series finale.

In 2018, Lauren Cohan said goodbye to The Walking Dead after lengthy contract discussions. Her character Maggie Greene was noticeably absent from the later episodes of season nine following a time jump, leading many to speculate about her return. Producers hoped she would rejoin the cast for season 10, and when her TV show Whiskey Cavalier was terminated, their wish came true. Cohan made a notable comeback in the 16th episode of season 10, which premiered in October 2020.

Directly following Cohan and Andrew Lincoln’s departures from the zombie drama, Gurira also announced her exit. After joining AMC’s series in its third season as the katana-wielding Michonne, she appeared for the last time in a season 10 episode, which was aired in March 2020.

In the first season, Nicollette Sheridan was a frequent character, and she became a series mainstay in the second season, portraying the legendary Alexis Carrington. However, in 2019, before the start of season three, she shared her intention to step away from the CW reboot to tend to her ailing mother.

In 2019, during the third season of the CBS remake, George Eads decided to step away from the show to devote more attention to his family. At that point, he publicly shared his intention to depart.

The television series “Lethal Weapon” has experienced its fair share of cast departures. Actor Clayne Crawford was dismissed from the show following the second season, while Damon Wayans, his on-screen partner, declared in October 2018 that he intends to leave the popular drama after completing the initial 13 episodes of the third season. He stated, “I’m quitting the show in December once we finish the initial 13, so I don’t really know what they have planned for me, but that is my plan.” At 58 years old and dealing with diabetes, Wayans expressed that he finds it challenging to work such long hours, saying, “I’m too old for this.

It turns out that the producers weren’t required to devise a new plan since the show had already been terminated following its third season.

During the ninth season of Shameless, Cameron Monaghan’s character was put behind bars. In real life, after nine years on the show, Monaghan decided to pursue other opportunities. However, unexpectedly, he agreed to return for season 10, and he was there when the series returned for its 11th and final season in December 2020.

After nine seasons as Fiona Gallagher, Emmy Rossum announced plans to leave Shameless in 2018.

John Wells, the show’s executive producer, declared that Emmy Rossum will always be a cherished member of the Shameless clan. Her exceptional portrayal of Fiona, her significant contributions as a leader on set, and her direction of several episodes have been pivotal to the series’ success. The team is currently working diligently to craft a season nine finale for Shameless that will offer a fitting farewell for Fiona, one that acknowledges Emmy’s exceptional work. While it’s sad to see an ensemble member like Emmy move on, we keep our door open for Fiona to revisit or return permanently. I eagerly anticipate continuing the adventures of this unpredictable family on Shameless, and we will all dearly miss Emmy and her brilliant portrayal of Fiona.

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2025-09-12 19:17