Bowen Yang speaks out about Heidi Gardner's 'SNL' exit

Bowen Yang has nothing but love for his former "Saturday Night Live" costars.

The "Wicked" actor, 34, spoke out in the Sept. 10 episode of his "Las Culturistas" podcast about the wave of departures from "SNL" ahead of the new season.

"I will miss the people who are not coming back very, very much," said Yang, who confirmed he is returning for Season 51 in October.

In particular, Yang praised longtime "SNL" star Heidi Gardner, who is reportedly leaving the show after eight seasons. He described her as "one of the greats" and said she "will go down in history," stressing how reliable she was and noting "you knew you were in good hands" with sketches she worked on.

Yang also said Gardner would write pieces for other cast members to perform, including a "Weekend Update" feature she once wrote that was performed by former cast member Punkie Johnson.

"It was one of the most beautiful, kindest gestures I've ever seen at that show," Yang said. "Her heart was so big. ... A true anchor on that show."

Gardner's departure from "SNL" was reported by multiple outlets, including Variety and The Hollywood Reporter in August after several other stars revealed they will not be returning. Unlike other exiting "SNL" cast members, though, Gardner has not released a statement addressing the news. It isn't clear whether it was her decision to leave.

Gardner joined "Saturday Night Live" in 2017 and was the longest-serving member of the show's cast to leave ahead of Season 51 in October.

Cast members Devon Walker, Emil Wakim and Michael Longfellow also announced their exits from "SNL" in August. The comedians joined the show between 2022 and 2024, with Wakim being the most recent addition. Longfellow's exit took many fans by surprise after speculation that he could take over as an anchor for "Weekend Update" in the future.

On the podcast, Yang praised Walker, Wakim and Longfellow as "fantastic comedians."

On Sept. 5, five comedians were added to the "SNL" cast for Season 51: Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska. According to Variety and Deadline, the remainder of the "SNL" cast from last season, including "Weekend Update" anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che, is expected to return.

"SNL" returns for its new season on Oct. 4.