- - Bowen Yang gets emotional about 'SNL' exit in meta farewell sketch

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAYDecember 21, 2025 at 2:26 PM

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Bowen Yang is signing off.

The Dec. 20 episode of "Saturday Night Live" served as a farewell for the longtime cast member, who confirmed his exit earlier in the day.

The comedian was given a grand sendoff with a sketch where he played an airport employee on his last shift, allowing everything his character said to also apply to Yang leaving the show.

"It's sad," he said in the sketch. "I'm going to miss everything about this place: The way it smells. The celebrities who would come through. You know, just last week, Josh O'Connor was here!"

Yang's final "SNL" episode was hosted by Ariana Grande, his costar in the "Wicked" movies, and the musical guest was Cher, who Yang has expressed his admiration for in the past. Grande appeared in Yang's goodbye sketch, where she said she is "so proud of" him and all of the work he has done before the two sang together.

Bowen Yang attends the Las Culturistas Culture Awards at The Orpheum Theatre on July 17, 2025, in Los Angeles.

Kenan Thompson also stopped by in the sketch to tell Yang, "Good luck. I'm going to miss you."

Near the end of the sketch, Yang seemed to become legitimately emotional as he reflected, "I just feel so lucky that I ever got to work here, and I just wanted to enjoy it for a little bit longer." He also told his boss, played by Cher, "Any success I have after this will be thanks to this place."

Bowen Yang arrives for Apple TV+'s Primetime Emmy Party in Hollywood on Sept. 14, 2025.

Yang joined "SNL" as a writer in 2018 and then as a member of the cast in 2019. During his time on the show, he received five Emmy nominations, including four nods for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series from 2021 to 2025. Yang's repertoire of characters included politicians like Vice President JD Vance and former U.S. Rep. George Santos.

In an Instagram post confirming his exit on the day of the show, Yang wrote that he "loved working at 'SNL,' and most of all i loved the people," adding that he "was there at a time when many things in the world started to seem futile, but working at 30 rock taught me the value in showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile."

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Yang also thanked Grande in his Instagram post for "sending me off in the dreamiest way i could imagine."

Yang's exit marked the latest departure for "SNL" after a significant cast shake-up that occurred between seasons. Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim were among those to leave the cast before the premiere of Season 51.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Bowen Yang's final 'SNL' addressed his exit

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