Bowen Yang felt like it was "time" for him to leave Saturday Night Live

Speaking on the Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang podcast, he explained: "This is honestly what's behind it: It's time. You would do seven seasons, and then you would scoot.

"COVID and the current media landscape, the current entertainment ecosystem, is so turbulent that people have completely valid reasons for staying longer, or, in a lot of cases, don't have the privilege of staying on as long as they would like to.

"I have this very beautiful thing where I get to say that I stayed on exactly as long as I wanted to."

Bowen's last appearance on SNL came on December 20, 2025, in which he starred in an emotional sketch with his Wicked: For Good co-star Ariana Grande and Cher.

After signing off from the show, Bowen said was "grateful for every minute" he spent on SNL in a heartfelt farewell message.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Bowen wrote: "I loved working on 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.

"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."

Bowen expressed gratitude "to every single person who showed up there", including friends, audiences and hosts.

He wrote: "Thank you to every cast member for making me laugh and cry. Thank you to Ari for sending me off in the dreamiest way I could imagine."

Bowen added: "Thank you to Lorne [Michaels] for the job. For the standard. And for bringing everyone at work together. They all care deeply about people in the room, any room, enjoying themselves. 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."