Seth Meyers debunks SNL theory: ‘I think this is a false narrative’

Former cast member spoke out about long-running comedy show’s future in recent podcast episode

Seth Meyers has responded to rumours that Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels is set to move on from the franchise, dismissing the whispers as a “false narrative”.

Michaels, 79, created the long-running NBC sketch show in 1975, and outside of a five-year hiatus in the 1980s, has been heavily involved in the programme’s running ever since.

In 2021, he noted that it would be a “really good time to leave” the series after its 50th season. With season 49 set to conclude in May, discussions of SNL’s future have been more frequent in recent months, with Mean Girls star Tina Fey often popping up as a name suggested as Michaels’ successor.

However, according to former head writer and cast member Meyers, no plans for Michaels’ departure are in place just yet.

The Late Night with Seth Meyers host appeared on the podcast Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out, on which the comedian asked him if he was in the running to inherit control of the show.

“Are you gonna take over for Lorne, or is it Tina [Fey] and then you?” Birbiglia asked Meyers, to which the late-night host replied: “I think this is a false narrative that Lorne is going anywhere.

“I think it made sense for Lorne – who’s, yeah, got a flair for the dramatic – to say, ‘I think I’ll be done at [season] 50,’” Meyers said. “It’s not like Lorne’s got something else he wants to do more than this.”

Seth Meyers and Lorne Michaels (Getty)

Birbilgia fired back with a joke, saying, “So you think it’s Kenan [Thompson]?” to which Meyers quipped, “I think it’s Kenan.”

Meyers, 50, was part of the regular SNL cast from 2001 to 2014, and also served as the show’s head writer from 2006 until his exit. He was also the anchor of the show’s popular Weekend Update segment for eight years.

Seth Meyers and Lorne Michaels in 2009 (Getty Images)

Earlier this year, Michaels commented on plans for the show’s 50th anniversary in 2025, and teased his intentions to mark the milestone.

“We’re doing the 50th-anniversary show in February of ’25, so I will definitely be there for that, and definitely be there until that, and sometime before that, we’ll figure out what we’re gonna do,” he told Entertainment Tonight in January.

When the publication suggested former key cast member Fey as someone who could take up the mantle from him when he leaves, Michaels was complimentary about the 30 Rock star.

“It could easily be Tina Fey, but you know, there are a lot of people who are there now who are also, you know [could be good],” he said. “Tina’s brilliant and great at everything. She’s a very important person in my life.”

Saturday Night Live continues this weekend with Ramy Youssef as the host, and musical guest Travis Scott.