Welp, This First SNL Season 51 Weekend Update News We Got Was Not What I Expected

Now that Saturday Night Live’s historic 50th season is in the rear view (alongside the SNL50 concert special, the star-studded. face-squishing anniversary special and more), fans can look forward to the sketch show’s more subdued return to the 2025 TV schedule for Season 51. At the moment, we’re still not sure who will head up the list of upcoming guest hosts and musical acts, but there’s been another between-seasons exit, this time related to “Weekend Update.”

Lorne Michael previously hinted at changes being made behind the scenes ahead of Season 51, and the first major alteration came with the news that three-year vet Devon Walker was the first cast member to be cut. Now, writer Rosebud Baker has revealed she has stepped down, and will no longer be involved with putting words in the mouths of current “Weekend Update” hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che, whose futures are also rumored to be in flux.

Baker shared her news with the world at large via Instagram, writing this on a Stories post alongside an SNL Network headline:

The stand-up comedian then shared a post listing a bunch of upcoming dates where fans can see her performing live, and I can only assume that part of her act going forward will address SNL stories potentially tied to her exit.

Baker first joined Saturday Night Live in 2022 right around the middle of Season 47, having previously written for HBO Max’s That Damn Michael Che. That connection extended to her newer gig when she was brought into the “Weekend Update” team for the start of Season 50, a duty she addressed while guesting on the podcast Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade, and said that scouring so many offbeat news stories was akin to training to become a sociopath.

So perhaps it’s not that much of a surprise that she’s out of the “Weekend Update” cycle after just one season. But the question many fans might be wondering is whether Rosebud Baker’s departure is a one-off sitch, or if it speaks to long-floating rumors about Colin Jost and Michael Che vacating the desk.

Reportedly, neither of the two comedian have officially signed on for Season 51 yet, which has sparked speculation that Lorne Michaels may be gearing up other cast members (new or otherwise) to take over the vaunted positions. It was stated that cast member Michael Longfellow and SNL writer KC Shornima were both auditioned to test their “Weekend Update” skills, but without further context for how it went or what might happen next.

Baker’s exit was revealed just a couple of days after the first behind-the-scenes change-up. Writer Celeste Yim, who became SNL’s first openly trans writer upon joining the show in 2020, revealed that they were packing up and shipping off for greener pastures.

Saturday Night Live Season 51 will air on NBC (and stream via Peacock subscription) starting on Saturday, October 4. Before that, anyone with a Netflix subscription can check out Rosebud Baker’s most recent stand-up special, The Mother Lode.