Kansas City’s own Heidi Gardner, a beloved Saturday Night Live alum since 2017 and die-hard Chiefs fan, is stepping away from the legendary lateu2011night show as it heads into a new season. An eightu2011year veteran, which makes her SNL’s longestu2011tenured female cast member, Gardner has confirmed she will not return when season 51 premieres in early October.
Gardner’s exit is part of a sweeping cast shakeup. Three other cast members, including Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, and Emil Wakim, are also departing. It's a show-defining level of turnover that feels similar to the Chiefs roster purge in 2013 when Andy Reid arrived.