Cecily Strong Posts Heartfelt Message Announcing Her SNL Departure

The December 17, 2022 episode of Saturday Night Live was surprisingly emotional as fan favorite Cecily Strong revealed she is departing after 11 hilarious seasons. 

"My heart is bursting," Strong said in an Instagram post announcing the news. "I have a lot of big huge life changing love to unpack, so this is what I can say tonight 💙. Ten and a half years ago I got my dream job. The first actual work day I tried to be very cool and make it look like I knew what i was doing and I was supposed to be there. I left that night around 11 after saying goodbye to everyone."

She continued, "I got stuck wandering around the building because none of the elevators went to the first floor and I was trying so hard to avoid having to go back upstairs to ask for help because I’d already said goodbye!!! I think I went to every floor trying to figure out if there was another exit I was missing. I might have even gone into a stairwell. I ended up going back upstairs and my soon-to-be great friend Colin Jost helped me out and walked me over to the secret night time elevator. It felt as impossible to leave that night as it does now. And my great friend Colin Jost ended up helping me again, this time by getting Elvis to sing me off (thank you Austin Butler you absolute kind and generous dreamboat)." Watch Butler's farewell serenade to Strong in the video, above. 

Strong concluded the post by saying goodbye to everyone she has made laugh throughout her SNL run: "I’m sorry I’ve been a little quiet about it publicly. I didn’t want the extra pressure on something already so emotional for me. And I’m so grateful I got to have these wonderful past six shows to help me ease into it and get to meet and laugh and probably overly hug Molly, Marcello, Devon, and Michael who I think are not only brilliantly funny but really great humans. I am ready to go, but I’ll always know home is here. I’ve had the time of my life working with the greatest people on earth."

We'll miss you, Cecily! 

Watch Saturday Night Live Saturdays at 11:30/10:30c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.