Heidi Gardner’s Shocking SNL Exit: Dana Carvey Spills the Tea

I’m Riley Carter, and I’m here to give you the lowdown on the latest celebrity gossip. So, like, it turns out that Dana Carvey is dishing out some juicy details about Heidi Gardner’s sudden exit from Saturday Night Live.

Dana Carvey, the 70-year-old comedian, recently shared his thoughts on Heidi Gardner’s departure from SNL on his podcast, Fly on the Wall, with co-host David Spade. According to Carvey, Gardner’s exit was not by her own choice. “From what I know as of this recording, that it was not her idea to leave,” Carvey claimed. He added that he could be wrong, but that’s what he’s read. Spade, who was a cast member on SNL back in the 1990s, found it “a little shocking” that the show would let Gardner go, considering she’s one of the core cast members and always does a great job.

Gardner, who was the longest-tenured woman on the show as of last season, joined SNL during Season 43 as a featured player and was promoted to the main cast in 2019. She did eight full seasons on the show, which is no small feat. As Carvey pointed out, Gardner has a likability that serves her well in various roles – she can play a straight news woman, a big, funny, physical character, and more. “So I was surprised by that,” Carvey added.

The New York Post confirmed on August 28 that Gardner is not returning to SNL for Season 51. Alongside Gardner, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, and Michael Longfellow are also leaving the show, while five newcomers have been added to the Season 51 cast. Carvey gave a shoutout to the trio exiting the show, calling Michael Longfellow “a really cool, interesting character,” and Emil Wakim “an adorable person and funny out there.”

Carvey also recalled talking to Devon Walker about the difficulties of SNL. Walker had told Carvey that when you don’t get on the show a lot, you can get anxious when you do get a chance to perform. “You get out there and you have a moment, you’re not relaxed because it’s like, if you don’t score here, you go back in line,” Carvey said, quoting Walker. “So, it can be emotionally violent depending where you are in the show or it could be a magic ride,” Carvey added.

SNL Season 51 premieres on October 4 on NBC, and fans are eager to see what’s in store for the new season. With Gardner’s departure and the addition of new cast members, it’s clear that the show is shaking things up.

Anyway, that’s the deal. Do with it what you will.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and The New York Post
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed