NBC Rep Squashes Rumor of Tina Fey Taking Over Saturday Night Live

Lorne Michaels has been at the helm of Saturday Night Live for the better part of five decades, steering the sketch comedy week in and week out throughout the years. Recent rumors have pointed to Tina Fey potentially being a suitor to replace the producer in the comings years upon his retirement, a claim NBC now denies. According to ET Canada, an NBC spokesperson said there was no "truth to this report," citing an interview from last year in which Michaels said he had no current plans to retire.

The rumor initially appeared in the New York Post, citing an anonymous source that said Fey, an SNL alumnus herself, was seen by many as a top candidate to replace Michaels. "I would be surprised if it wasn't her," the source told the tabloid. "Seth Meyers has his own show. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg won't come here. Judd Apatow passed [on the job] years ago. Amy Poehler has her own stuff. Bill Hader is directing a movie. Kate McKinnon is too hot."

When is Lorne Michaels leaving SNL?

Many have thought Michaels may leave the show with its upcoming Season 50, which is set to debut in the fall of 2024. The rumors gained enough steam, SNL mainstay Kenan Thompson addressed them last year by agreeing the time could be a good point to stop the show.

"I mean, there could be a lot of validity to that rumor because 50 is a good number to stop at, you know what I'm saying, that's an incredible package. [Michaels] will be, you know, probably close to 80-years-old at that point and, you know, he's the one that's had his touch on the whole thing," Kenan told Charlamagne tha God in 2022. "So if somebody tries to come into his shoes, you know it's a good opportunity for NBC as well, you know what I'm saying, so maybe they might slash the budget. And then at that point you can't really do the same kind of show, so that's unfair to just watch it really go down kind of in flames or whatever like for real for real because of those restrictions, you know what I'm saying. And it'll just be a different thing, so capping it at 50 might not be a bad idea, I don't know."

Virtually every SNL episode, other than the select few locked away for good because of a variety of reasons, is now available to watch on Peacock. You can sign up for the streaming platform here.