‘SNL’ Star Reveals Exit Hours Before Final 2022 Episode

Saturday Night Live is losing another main member of the cast, stretching the exodus from the summer through the end of the 48th season’s first half. Cecily Strong’s exit from the long-running sketch series was confirmed by the show on Saturday, hours before the episode was set to air on NBC.

“We’ll miss you, Cecily,” a cue card reads on an Instagram photo posted by SNL’s main account. “Tonight we send off one of the best to ever do it. We’ll miss you, Cecily!”

Strong has been a key member of the cast across the past decade, including a moment when she became the latest female anchor on the Weekend Update desk. This was short-lived, replaced by Strong showing her character chops at the desk and elsewhere in the show.

Strong debuted on the series on September 15, 2012, as a featured player before rising to the main cast the following season. She has been a staple on the series, supporting breakout characters, crafting her own, and leaving a great mark among the other women that have graced the show.

Her Weekend Update favorites include Cathy Anne, the “white trash” neighbor of Michael Che, The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party, and Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro. She also had a knack for taking on the more divisive women making headlines, including Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and her recent portrayal of Arizona candidate Kari Lake, filters and wild theories included.

Away from SNL, Strong hosted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2015, had her first book published in 2021, a memoir titled This Will All Be Over Soon, and has spread out to appear on other films and television shows. This includes Schmigadoon!, the musical comedy series over at AppleTV+.

More Schmigadoon! is on the menu for Strong and a role in the upcoming Garfield feature starring Chris Pratt. But for today, and the past few weeks, SNL has been the focus for Strong. She departs sharing some of her favorite moments on and off screen on social media.