Lorne Michaels Teases Major SNL Season 51 Changes Amid Cast Exodus and Writer’s Emotional Farewell

Subject: Lorne Michaels, SNL Season 51, James Austin Johnson, Celeste Yim

By Jaden Patel

Change is coming to “Saturday Night Live” — and not the kind that involves a surprise cameo from a presidential candidate or a last-minute rewrite after a viral scandal. No, this time, it’s real. Lorne Michaels, the 80-year-old architect of late-night sketch comedy, has confirmed that Season 51 will see a major cast shakeup. Because, apparently, even a show that’s been on the air since the disco era needs to occasionally pretend it’s not stuck in the past.

During a recent interview with Puck News, Michaels was asked the question on everyone’s mind: “Are you planning to shake things up with the cast?” His response? “Yes.” And for those who needed further clarification, he added, “Yeah, for sure.” So there you have it — the most dramatic casting news since the time they decided to let a guest host play themselves.

Michaels also mentioned that there’s “pressure to reinvent this season,” which sounds suspiciously like a polite way of saying, “We need to stop getting roasted by critics and TikTokers alike.” The changes will be announced “in a week or so,” which gives the internet just enough time to speculate, overanalyze, and possibly start a conspiracy theory about Kenan Thompson secretly running for mayor of Brooklyn.

One thing that’s already confirmed? James Austin Johnson will be back to impersonate Donald Trump. Because apparently, even in a post-presidency world, SNL still hasn’t figured out how to parody politics without relying on a recurring impression that’s starting to feel like a time loop.

Meanwhile, longtime writer Celeste Yim recently announced their departure from the show after five seasons. And by “announced,” we mean they posted a heartfelt, semi-chaotic Instagram caption that read like a mix between a graduation speech and a therapy session. Yim wrote, “After five seasons, I’m leaving my job at Saturday Night Live. Lorne hired me over the phone when I was 23 and the job literally made all of my dreams come true BUT it was also grueling and I slept in my office every week BUT my friends helped me with everything BUT I got yelled at by random famous men BUT some famous girls too BUT I loved it and I laughed every day and it’s where I grew up.”

Yes, that’s one sentence. Yes, it’s a masterpiece. And yes, it perfectly encapsulates what it’s like to work on a show that runs on caffeine, chaos, and the occasional existential crisis.

Yim also made history as the first out trans writer on SNL, and they took a moment to highlight the show’s queer legacy — even throwing in a surprise tidbit: “Chevy is non-binary!” That’s right, folks. Chevy Chase, the man who helped define the SNL brand of sarcasm in the ‘70s, apparently defies gender binaries. Or maybe Yim was just being poetic. Either way, it’s a headline.

As for the future, Michaels explained that Season 50 was all about nostalgia — bringing back alums like Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Kate McKinnon to celebrate the show’s 50th anniversary. “So, when Kate [McKinnon] hosted, Kristen [Wiig] and Maya [Rudolph] came back for it,” he said. “And that meant there couldn’t be those kind of disruptions or anything that was going to take the focus off [the 50th season].”

Translation: We were too busy getting sentimental to fire anyone.

But now, with Season 51 on the horizon and the election cycle back in full swing, SNL is under pressure to stay relevant. And if that means shaking up the cast, so be it. As Michaels put it, “More people are involved in the choices and in the decisions. There’s a lot of people in that room with a lot of opinions. I make the final decision, obviously. But it’s not as if people don’t let me know how strongly they feel.”

In other words, it’s a democracy until it’s not.

Kenan Thompson, the show’s longest-serving cast member, hinted at potential changes in May, telling Page Six, “It feels like there’s maybe, possibly, a lot of change next year.” He added, “You want everyone to stay forever, knowing that people may be making decisions this summer… it’s always like you want your kids to stay young.”

Because yes, SNL is a family. A dysfunctional, sleep-deprived, occasionally yelling-at-celebrities family.

So what’s next? A full cast overhaul? Surprise exits? A new generation of writers ready to sleep in offices and get yelled at by famous people? We’ll find out soon enough. Until then, enjoy the chaos.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and Puck News, Page Six, Instagram
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