Cecily Strong Is the Latest Cast Member to Leave 'Saturday Night Live'

After Eleven seasons on the caricature comedy collection, Cecily Strong is leaving 'Saturday Night Live.' Wait, why?! Here's what we know about her departure.

Although the ultimate Saturday Night Live episode of the year normally goes out with a bang, this year's annual vacation display was once bittersweet — how so? Well, it marked comedian Cecily Strong's last appearance as a cast member.

The wildly well-liked comic strip comedy sequence announced her departure simply hours prior to the Austin Butler-hosted episode. "Tonight we send off one of the best to ever do it. We’ll miss you, Cecily!" the show shared on Instagram alongside a photograph of a cue card that read, "We'll miss you, Cecily!"

As we rewatch her final episode for the umpteenth time, we will't help however marvel: Why did Cecily Strong leave SNL? Here's the whole lot we all know up to now about her surprising go out.

Why did Cecily Strong leave 'SNL'?

On Dec. 18, Cecily Strong took to Instagram to have a good time her time on Saturday Night Live. After recalling her very first paintings day on the display, she addressed her departure: "I’m sorry I’ve been a little quiet about it publicly. I didn’t want the extra pressure on something already so emotional for me," she wrote.

"And I’m so grateful I got to have these wonderful past six shows to help me ease into it and get to meet and laugh and probably overly hug Molly, Marcello, Devon, and Michael who I think are not only brilliantly funny but really great humans," she added. "I am ready to go, but I’ll always know home is here. I’ve had the time of my life working with the greatest people on earth."

Following her go out, Entertainment Weekly learned that she "always intended to return for only the first half of Season 48." Cecily did spark rumors that she was once leaving after lacking the first few episodes of the season (it seems she used to be hanging on her one-woman display, a revival of The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, in Los Angeles).

Now, it's protected to think that after Eleven seasons on the display, Cecily is ready to pursue other appearing opportunities. In truth, the Emmy nominated actress already seems to be booked and busy, thank you to the 2024 animated film Garfield in addition to Season 2 of Apple TV Plus's musical comedy series Schmigadoon!

In her ultimate episode on SNL, the 38-year-old comic seemed as several of her widespread routine characters, together with Cathy Anne on "Weekend Update." Once she arrived, the fictional drug-addicted neighbor of Michael Che printed the reason why for her look on the segment.

"I’m a little emo tonight because I’m here to say goodbye," she said, adding that she's headed to jail.

"Everybody has to go to jail at some point, right? It’s my time now," she stated. Cecily ultimately broke character toward the finish, noting, "I had a lot of fun here. And I feel really lucky that I have had so many of the best moments of my life in this place, and with these people that I love so much."

By the end of the night, every other comic strip saw Cecily working her ultimate day at RadioShack.

Longtime SNL cast member Kenan Thompson performed her boss and broke personality somewhat, declaring, "I don’t think RadioShack could have lasted this long without Cecily. Every time she came to work, she had a new character, or a new accent, or a new impression that would just blow you away. She’d have a power and joy to her performance that made you remember why you loved working at RadioShack in the first place."

The episode's host Austin Butler then gave the impression as "Casual Elvis" — the comic story was that RadioShack did not find the money for to buy an Elvis dress — and serenaded Cecily with "Blue Christmas." While protecting back tears, Cecily joined in, quickly followed through Kenan and the rest of the SNL cast.

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