Saturday Night Live: Aidy Bryant Breaks Silence on Exit

Ahead of the conclusion of the most recent season of Saturday Night Live, the NBC variety series confirmed that a number of cast members would be departing. Longtime stars Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney all left the series with its 47th season, with many of them opening up about their departure in the days ahead of and immediately after the season finale. Now the last of those departing talents have opened up about leaving the show with Aidy Bryant speaking to Variety about thei decision to leave. According to Bryant, she knew as early a March that this would be her final year but also that she may not have stuck around with the series as long as she did for one major reasonl.

"If it weren't for COVID, I probably would have left a few years earlier," Bryant said. "But it was such a huge change. When COVID hit, it was so jarring that we were all like, 'I'm definitely going to come back next year.' And then I had to shoot Shrill for half of last season, and so I missed a lot. And then it was like, 'Well, now I should go back one more.' I kept trying to seek one last normal year. This year wasn't the normal year that I hoped for, but it was closer to that. It was like, 'OK, it's really time now.' And 10 felt like a nice, solid round number."

Bryant was previously nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for her time on the series, twice for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and once for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. With this most recent batch of episodes having been her last, another nomination or two isn't out of the equation. The comedian also revealed what her conversation with creator Lorne Michaels was like when she told him she was leaving.

"Maybe in March or April, I went to his office and was like, 'I gotta talk to you.' I was scared because I feel close to him and so grateful to him. I didn't want it to come off like I was leaving angrily. I am leaving with so much love. He was like, 'I understand, and it makes sense for you.'"

Bryant won't be leaving the NBC family however, and is developing a new TV series, Cheeky, which is in the works for the Peacock streaming service. Saturday Nigh Live will seemignly premiere season 48 on NBC this fall.

(Cover Photo by: Rosalind O'Connor/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)