Bowen Yang Leaves "Saturday Night Live" After Starring in Emotional Final Sketch Alongside Ariana Grande and Cher Escher Walcott, Lindsay KimbleDecember 21, 2025 at 3:17 AM 0 Saturday Night Live/YouTube Ariana Grande, Bowen Yang and Cher Bowen Yang concluded his sevenyear run as a Saturday Night Live cast member on Saturday, Dec. 20 Yang, 35, played a Delta One Lounge employee in an emotional final sketch featuring Ariana Grande and Cher "This place will always be home, but ah, it's time to go," he said through tears Bowen Yang just took his final Saturday Night Live bow. On Saturday, Dec.
- - Bowen Yang Leaves "Saturday Night Live" After Starring in Emotional Final Sketch Alongside Ariana Grande and Cher
Escher Walcott, Lindsay KimbleDecember 21, 2025 at 3:17 AM
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Saturday Night Live/YouTube
Ariana Grande, Bowen Yang and Cher -
Bowen Yang concluded his seven-year run as a Saturday Night Live cast member on Saturday, Dec. 20
Yang, 35, played a Delta One Lounge employee in an emotional final sketch featuring Ariana Grande and Cher
"This place will always be home, but ah, it's time to go," he said through tears
Bowen Yang just took his final Saturday Night Live bow.
On Saturday, Dec. 20, Yang, 35, concluded his seven-year run on the late-night comedy series with a mid-season exit during the final episode of 2025. He signed off from SNL with an emotional final sketch featuring Ariana Grande and Cher.
Yang played a Delta One Lounge employee working his last shift in a parallel to his own final bow out of the show. He later broke down in tears in character as he sang about his job while performing the 1960 song "Please Come Home for Christmas" by Charles Brown with Grande, 32.
"I just feel so lucky that I ever got to work here, and I just wanted to enjoy it for a little bit longer," said Yang ."Especially the people. I've loved every single person who works here, because they've done so much for me, especially my boss."
Cher then appeared onstage as Yang's boss, the "CEO of Eggnog at Delta." Yang said to her, "Before I go, do you have any feedback for me?" to which Cher replied, "Well, everyone thought you were a little bit too gay. But you know what? You're perfect for me."
The trio continued singing together while embracing Yang as he broke down in tears. He finally said onstage, "This place will always be home, but ah, it's time to go," as he received a kiss from Grande.
PEOPLE confirmed through a source on Friday, Dec. 19, that Saturday's show would be Yang's last.
Yang joined SNL in 2019, becoming the series' first Chinese American cast member. At the time, he was one of SNL's first openly gay stars.
Yang addressed his SNL exit in a Dec. 20 Instagram post, ahead of his final appearance on the show. "I loved working at SNL, and most of all I loved the people. I was there at a time when many things in the world started to seem futile, but working at 30 rock taught me the value in showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile," he wrote in his caption.
Saturday Night Live/YouTube
Ariana Grande, Bowen Yang and Cher appear on Yang's final episode of 'Saturday Night Live'
"I'm grateful for every minute of my time there. I learned about myself (bad with wigs). I learned about others (generous, vulnerable, hot). I learned that human error can be nothing but correct. I learned that comedy is mostly logistics and that it will usually fail until it doesn't, which is the besssst," Yang continued.He then thanked numerous people he met and worked with across his SNL journey, stating, "I can't believe I was ever included in that. The show doesn't go on because it's ready, but s---, I hope I am. ❤️🌃⌛️🎥."
Now a five-time Emmy nominee, the Wicked: For Good star has, already, been the subject of some speculation regarding his time at SNL.
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Ahead of season 51 in April, Yang told PEOPLE he would leave SNL at some point. "It's just this moving, living, breathing thing," he said of the series.
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"Especially after the 50th, I'm seeing what life after the show is like and how beautiful it is, and how so many people, no matter how long they were at the show, are just with their families and loving their lives and not letting the years take away any of that experience for them," Yang said, though he noted at the time he wasn't quite ready to leave SNL behind yet.
In an Esquire essay published on Dec. 10, Yang reflected on what he's "learned" from his time on the show, admitting that even seven years in he's "never thought of myself as a story, even after the Emmy nominations.
Arturo Holmes/Getty
Bowen Yang in January 2025
"Because my point of origin at SNL was this national story on cancel culture. Lorne Michaels said to me, 'The last thing I want you to do is be the poster child for racial harmony,' " said Yang. It was a wonderful thing to impart on me, but I think I also took that too far. I took that as permission to stand at the proscenium of the action when I should have run into it. It's taken me a long time to stand in the light of it all. I'm glad I've gotten there."
He also spoke to the outlet about what's next in his career. "I'm probably plugging away at something and probably doing something quiet," Yang prophesied. "I think we've hit critical mass with me for a little bit, and that's okay. I just want to do things that break a boundary."
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: December 21, 2025 at 12:36PM on Source: ANDY MAG
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