Bowen Yang’s departure from “Saturday Night Live” drew massive interest, resulting in the sketch show’s highest ratings in over a year. According to data from Variety, Saturday’s broadcast pulled in 5.4 million viewers, nearly matching the 5.6 million record set by Ariana Grande’s hosting stint in October 2024.
The episode featured Grande returning as host alongside musical guest Cher. One of the night’s highlights was a poignant musical farewell between Yang and Grande—his co-star in the film “Wicked”—as they performed “Please Come Home For Christmas.” During his final appearance in a sketch about a departing airline employee, Yang expressed deep gratitude for his colleagues and his time at the show.
Yang joined the production in 2018 as a writer and broke barriers in 2019 as the first Asian cast member in the show’s history. His exit comes mid-season and reportedly followed unsuccessful attempts by creator Lorne Michaels and NBC executives to keep him on the cast, despite offers of significant salary increases.
Sources suggest that Yang had been planning his exit for months, citing a desire to pursue new opportunities and a potential several-month stay in Japan. Insiders also noted that Yang may have been influenced by the recent departure of several veteran cast members, including Heidi Gardner, who was let go in August. Additionally, his growing schedule outside of “SNL” played a role; Yang co-hosts the popular “Las Culturistas” podcast and has several film projects in development, such as an upcoming “Cat in the Hat” animated movie.
Following the broadcast, Yang took to Instagram to share a heartfelt message, thanking Michaels for the opportunity and reflecting on the lessons he learned during his tenure. He noted that while he felt it was the right time to move on, he remained incredibly grateful for the people he worked with and the experiences he gained “live from New York.”