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NBC announced five new featured players for Saturday Night Live Season 51: Ben Marshall, Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska. The 2025–26 season has concluded, so this is a historical account of its announced additions and reported departures—not a current cast list.
Who joined SNL for Season 51?
NBC named five performers as new featured players. The announcement establishes their category and names; it should not be read as a complete roster of everyone who appeared in the season.
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| Performer | Brief background reported at the time |
|---|---|
| Ben Marshall | He had joined the SNL writing staff in 2021 and appeared with Please Don’t Destroy. |
| Tommy Brennan | He had performed on The Tonight Show and was selected as a Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy in 2023. |
| Jeremy Culhane | He was a Dropout TV regular and performed with Upright Citizens Brigade. |
| Kam Patterson | He was a regular on the Kill Tony podcast. |
| Veronika Slowikowska | She was known for online comedy sketches and appeared in Tires and What We Do in the Shadows. |
NBC’s announcement is the source for the five additions and their featured-player status. The biographical details were reported by the Associated Press; they provide context, not an explanation of why NBC selected each performer. NBC’s announcement; Associated Press coverage.
Who left or announced they would not return?
In its report on the Season 51 changes, the Associated Press said Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, and Michael Longfellow confirmed they were leaving. Ego Nwodim announced that she would not return after seven seasons.
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- Emil Wakim: departure directly confirmed, according to AP.
- Michael Longfellow: departure directly confirmed, according to AP.
- Ego Nwodim: announced she would not return. In the Instagram announcement reproduced by AP, she wrote, “The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight.”
AP also reported that Heidi Gardner was expected to depart, but said that neither Gardner nor NBC had publicly confirmed it when the story was published. That report-era qualification matters: her status should not be presented as an officially confirmed departure on the basis of that account. AP’s report on the departures.
What does “made the cut” mean here?
The confirmed additions are the five people NBC announced as new featured players. The departures above are based on contemporaneous AP reporting and are identified by their confirmation status. These facts do not establish a complete Season 51 premiere-night cast roster, so they should not be used to infer who else was or was not part of the lineup. They also do not indicate that a departure was a judgment on a performer’s talent.
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- 12 DVDs of the best episodes from Seasons 1-5. Plus a 28-Page Collector’s Book telling the story of the show and cast
- 33 episodes with the original groundbreaking, irreverent, hilarious cast. Plus rare footage of the cast, including screen tests and interviews
- All-time classic sketches including “Land Shark,” “Word Association,” “The Killer Bees,” “Super Bass-o-Matic,” “Weekend Update,” and so many more
- Iconic characters including Coneheads, Samurai, Emily Litella, Chevy Chase as President Ford, Shower Mike, The Blues Brothers, Baba Wawa, and more! You'll also recieve special episodes including Chevy Chase's return to SNL with music icon Billy Joel, plus the historic 100th episode!
- Guest Hosts include George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Steve Martin, Candice Bergen, Paul Simon, and more
How Season 51 ended
NBCUniversal’s June 2026 season recap described Season 51 as concluded and reported that it received 11 Emmy nominations. NBCUniversal also said it ranked as the number-one broadcast comedy series among adults 18–49 in the 2025–26 season; that ranking is NBCUniversal’s own recap, not an independent audience-measurement report. NBCUniversal’s Season 51 recap.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to watch Season 51
NBC’s Peacock guide says Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock. NBCUniversal’s Season 51 recap says every episode from the season is streaming on Peacock. Streaming availability may change. Peacock’s SNL guide.
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