The list of cast members leaving SNL ahead of season 51 is getting longer, with a few more comedians confirmed to be exiting the show. So far, there are four names confirmed to be leaving Saturday Night Live: Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow, and Heidi Gardner.The cast shakeup began with Devon Walker, who announced his departure from the program on August 25, 2025. Two days later, Emil Wakim also confirmed he was exiting, becoming the latest in the growing list of comedians leaving SNL after just a single season.On Thursday, August 28, 2025, two more names were added to the list of SNL exits. Michael Longfellow confirmed his exit from the show after three seasons in an Instagram post on August 28, 2025. The news came as a surprise to some, especially because Longfellow screen-tested for Weekend Update in May, per LateNighter. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostJust hours after Longfellow’s announcement, Variety confirmed that Heidi Gardner would also be leaving SNL. She has been in the sketch show for eight seasons and was named the longest-tenured current female cast member in SNL 50. However, her exit was less of a surprise to some, as she had hinted months earlier about possibly moving on.Back in February 2025, Gardner told fellow comedian Craig Ferguson on his podcast Joy that she was feeling “sketch fatigue or idea fatigue” after so many years performing both on Saturday Night Live and with The Groundlings."WTF is happening": Former and current cast members react to comedians leaving SNLWith four cast members, so far, leaving SNL, announcing their departure from the sketch show in just a few days, reactions have poured in from both former and current cast members. Punkie Johnson, who was part of the program since 2020 before exiting in 2024, commented under Michael Longfellow's announcement on Thursday, August 28:"WTF is happening... This is like the departed."A still from the series (Image via NBC)Johnson also commented under The SNL Network's Instagram post confirming Heidi Gardner was leaving SNL, writing: "Ahhhhhh Lawd not my Heidi." The comedian added that Gardner’s departure was the “biggest surprise” of the ongoing shake-up but praised her “great run,” calling Gardner an SNL legend.Emil Wakim, who announced that he was leaving SNL a day before, also commented on Longfellow's post, saying: "Yellow room forever u can play as many bones songs as u want."Longfellow's exit also earned a comment from Molly Shannon, who was in the sketch comedy series from 1995 to 2001, who wrote: "You RULE Michael." Shannon added that she was honored and happy to have gotten the chance to work with Longfellow. Cast members Chloe Fineman, Bowen Yang, and more have also taken to social media to share their reactions.As per Deadline, beyond the cast departures, SNL’s writing team has also seen changes. Two writers have left ahead of season 51: Celeste Yim, who had been with the show for five years, and Rosebud Baker, who joined the writing staff in 2022.Stay tuned for more news and updates, including possible cast exits and more casting news, as Saturday Night Live season 51 returns on NBC on October 4, 2025.