Ego Nwodim Departs SNL After Seven Seasons

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After seven years of character-defining comedy, Saturday Night Live star Ego Nwodim is saying goodbye. In an Instagram post Friday morning, the comedian announced she won’t return for Season 51, despite NBC initially including her name on this week’s list of returning cast.

“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight,” Nwodim wrote. “But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL. I am immensely grateful to Lorne for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support and friendship. Week after week on that stage taught me more than I could have ever imagined, and I will carry those memories (and that laughter) with me always. Now invite me to your weddings please!!!”

Nwodim becomes the fifth cast member to exit this season, following Heidi Gardner, Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow, and Emil Wakim. The Please Don’t Destroy trio also split, marking yet another shake-up in an era of constant reinvention for the show, seeing that SNL is a machine kept running by its cast, writers, and crew, and those moving parts are always regenerating.

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Nwodim has left behind a distinctive, glowing legacy at SNL. Her characters are witty, sharp, and entirely brought to life by her presence. She is known for playing characters like Dionne Warwick, “Lisa from Temecula,” and “Miss Eggy,” the Weekend Update character that instantly went down as a viral moment, complete with a whole crowd swearing in unison by accident. A monologue joke about the White House Correspondents’ Dinner canceling their request for a comedian turned into Nwodim’s character Miss Eggy volunteering for the role.

The moment hit a peak when she yelled, “Men ain’t what?” to which the crowd roared back, “Shit!” a call-and-response so accidentally electric, they were in trouble with the FCC. Watching Nwodim crack herself up as Michael Che and Colin Jost lost it at the desk reminded audiences exactly why she was one of the show’s brightest players. She was well-represented in our list of the best SNL sketches of season 50 as a result.

Beyond SNL, Nwodim has built a portfolio across television and film, from Peacock’s Mr. Throwback to Netflix’s Players and the upcoming feature Little Brother alongside John Cena and Eric André. Her ability to warp SNL into her own comedic playground ensures her exit won’t feel like a quiet shuffle out the door, but a curtain rising on whatever comes next.