Update: Michael Che has shared via Instagram that he is not, in fact, planning to leave Weekend Update, stating "I'm not leaving SNL." Che explained that the joke was part of his set and not an actual statement, comparing it to other jokes he also told that night.
Previously: In a surprising move, Michael Che, co-head writer and Weekend Update anchor on Saturday Night Live, said he would be leaving the Weekend Update desk after this year. During a pop-up set at a Minneapolis hair salon Steller Hair Co., the Star Tribune reported that Che said, "this is my last year" after eight years in the roe, joking, "You know my tie is a clip-on, right? What man wears a clip-on tie to work for eight years — that's embarrassing."
During the set, Che didn't go into any more detail about why and when exactly he'd be leaving the role. In January, Che surpassed Seth Meyers' record of 154 episodes on Weekend Update after co-head writer and co-anchor Colin Jost broke the record in October. Che joined SNL in 2014, replacing cast member Cecily Strong as Jost's co-anchor. The two have become consistently reliable Weekend Update hosts, perhaps best known for their annual joke-swap bit during the holiday season. They also became co-head writers in December 2017. It is currently unclear if Che will also be leaving his position as co-head writer of SNL.
This announcement came during a set in Minneapolis, where he has had multiple unusual gigs and participated in several open mics. The owner of Steller Hair Co., where the performance was held, was only contacted four hours before showtime after comedy host Casey Flesch reached owner Katie Steller. During the set, Che notably tried to stay away from the news and tested out a lot of provocative material.
Che has been branching out from SNL recently. In 2021 alone, he had two major streaming projects: the sketch comedy show That Damn Michael Che on HBO Max and Michael Che: Shame the Devil on Netflix. That Damn Michael Che was renewed for a second season in July 2021, so he definitely has work lined up were he to leave SNL altogether this year.
During the event, Che allowed the audience to take photographs but not videos. He remarked, "Can't a man have a private conversation into a microphone in front of strangers without the whole world finding out about it? Jesus. I'm just telling you my secrets." Currently, no one from NBC or SNL has commented on his statement, and it is still unclear if he would be stepping down from the show entirely or just Weekend Update. Che has become a fixture of SNL over the past few years, so his absence will undoubtedly be felt.