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Every ‘Saturday Night Live’ Cast Member Leaving & Joining the Show Ahead of Season 51 (Updating)

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Ahead of the season 51 premiere of Saturday Night Live on Oct. 4, Lorne Michaels confirmed in an interview that a few familiar faces will not return to the cast this fall — and those exits are starting to be announced one by one.

When asked by Puck in an interview published Aug. 22 if he planned to “shake things up” for the 2025-26 season, the SNL creator and producer replied, “Yes,” adding that he was feeling the “pressure to reinvent this season” after mostly keeping the cast intact from season 49 into the show’s landmark 50th year.

“I wanted people coming back and being part of [the 50th season],” Michaels told Puck. “So when Kate [McKinnon] hosted, Kristen [Wiig] and Maya [Rudolph] came back for it. And that meant there couldn’t be those kind of disruptions or anything that was going to take the focus off [the 50th season].”

Kenan Thompson Hints at ‘A Lot of Change’ for ‘SNL’ Season 51

The 2024-25 season 50 cast included 17 people in total: 14 full-time cast members and three featured players. The longest-running cast members on Saturday Night Live are led by Kenan Thompson, who started on the show in 2003 and holds the record for the longest-tenured SNL castmate of all time. Other vets in the mix: Weekend Update co-anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che, who both joined the cast in 2014; Mikey Day (2016); Ego Nwodim (2018); and Chloe Fineman and Bowen Yang (both 2019). So far, the longest-running cast member announced to exit is Heidi Gardner, who joined the show in 2017 and has spent eight seasons on the cast.

So who won’t be back when the sketch comedy show returns to Studio 8H in October? And who is joining the cast this season? Below, find the full list of cast members exiting and joining Saturday Night Live ahead of season 51.

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Taemin Feels ‘So Honored & Grateful’ to Be the First Male K-Pop Solo Artist to Perform at Coachella

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Taemin is making history a long way from home. SHINee member and K-pop star appeared on the Wednesday (April 1) episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show, where he spoke about being part of this year’s Coachella lineup.

“You’re making history as the first K-pop male solo artist to perform at Coachella,” Hudson points out during their chat. “How does that feel?”

“There is a saying in Korea, ‘Big opportunities come three times in life,'” Taemin responds after sharing that he was feeling “honored and grateful” to be performing at the festival. “And this is one of them.”

Hudson continues the chat by asking the star if he will release more solo music.

“Oh, yes,” Taemin replies. “I am still evolving.”

The star was also on the talk show to perform his new single, “Long Way Home.” The “Idol’s Idol” sang alone on the stage, dancing effortlessly with his rhinestone microphone and mic stand for the adoring audience.

Performing at Coachella isn’t the only history Taemin is making this year. Billboard exclusively revealed in March that the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles will open a new exhibit dedicated to the K-pop star’s nearly two-decade long career, making him the first K-pop soloist to receive such recognition from the museum. “TAEMIN: Performer. Artist. Icon” will opens April 1 and will give fans a peek behind the curtains of Taemin’s career. Multiple performance looks — including one from his Ephemeral Gaze World Tour — will be on display as well as his official lightstick and a handwritten note addressed to his fans. The special exhibit will run through May 25.

Watch Taemin’s performance and chat on The Jennifer Hudson Show above.


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‘Pinky Up’! Here’s When KATSEYE’s New Single Arrives

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KATSEYE is taking EYEKONS to etiquette classes, and the first rule we’re learning? Pinkies up.

The HYBE K-pop girl group announced new single “Pinky Up” via a series of social media posts. The first arrived Monday (March 30). It was a cryptic video featuring the Mona Lisa bringing a piping hot cup of tea up to her mouth — pinky up, of course. The next came Tuesday morning (March 31), this time featuring an arcade claw machine with “KATSEYE” emblazoned across the top as the claw pulls out a sword from the midst of blinged out stuffed animals and a singular tea cup. What may be a hint to some of the song’s lyrics, the caption for the reel says, “We’re screaming from cloud nine!!”

The third post confirmed the arriving single and its artwork, featuring someone kneeling on a carpet behind with a tea cup on a saucer and a toy cat, and the title of the song across the front in hot pink lettering. The caption reads “PINKY UP SINGLE RELEASE” as well as the release date and time, April 9 at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET.

“Pinky Up” comes out just in time for KATSEYE’s Coachella debut on Friday (April 10). The single will also be the band’s first new work since record labels HYBE and Geffen announced last month that member Manon Bannerman would be taking a break from the group. Since Manon has stepped back, KATSEYE has continued their previously scheduled appearances, including performances at Lollapalooza Argentina and Lollapalooza Chile. On March 24, the band was announced as the headliner for the 2026 Head in the Clouds Music & Arts Festival, to take place on Aug. 8 in Passadena, Calif.

See KATSEYE’s posts about “Pinky Up” below:


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Zendaya’s Rue Is on the Run in New ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 Trailer

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Television this year is about to get turned up a few notches, as Euphoria is slated to return with season three on April 12 following a four-year hiatus. HBO released a second trailer for the Zendaya-starring show on Monday (March 30).

The high-school days seem to be long in the rearview mirror, as season three feels more like a set of Grand Theft Auto campaign missions and takes place about five years post graduation.

The clip kicks off with Rue (Zendaya) being interrogated by authorities about a recent trip to Mexico. The scene pivots to her involvement with a Mexican drug lord, which finds Rue in a tricky predicament of having to swallow what appears to be a ball of drugs and act as a mule.

Nate (Jacob Elordi) and Cassie’s (Sydney Sweeney) toxic relationship ended with wedding bells, as the trailer shows the couple getting married, which is sure to come with plenty of drama. Maddie (Alexa Demie) also hops behind the camera to direct some adult content photo shoots for Cassie, who has rekindled their friendship.

Lexi (Maude Apatow) looks to have landed her dream job working on the set of a TV show. Euphoria also welcomes the returns of the late Eric Dane (who portrays Cal Jacobs), Colman Domingo (Ali), Dominic Fike (Elliot), Hunter Schafer (Jules) and Chloe Cherry (Faye).

“Mom, I really need to come home,” a teary-eyed Rue pleads with her mother. The superstar actress is also seen in the trailer being pulled over by police during a traffic stop, which appears to lead to the intense interrogation.

There’s also some new blood injected into season three, which will find appearances from Sharon Stone, former NFL star Marshawn Lynch, Rosalía, Danielle Deadwyler, Trisha Paytas, Natasha Lyonne and Eli Roth.

Season two aired in 2022, which came three years after a dynamic opening season in 2019.

Watch the Euphoria trailer above. Season three returns on April 12 on HBO, with the eight-episode season set to wrap on May 31.


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