Ego Nwodim appeared to take a subtle swipe at Saturday Night Live over its perceived lack of diversity following her recent departure from the long-running NBC sketch series.
The 37-year-old comedian, who recently described SNL as a “challenging” workplace, discussed her experience and the show’s representation issues during her appearance on Sherri, hosted by Sherri Shepherd, on Wednesday.
Nwodim—who confirmed in September via Instagram that she would not return for Season 51 after seven years on the show—departed amid what many have described as a “cast bloodbath,” with several other performers, including Michael Longfellow, Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, and Heidi Gardner, also exiting the series.
Shepherd noted during the interview, “I’m a huge fan of SNL, but it’s tough not seeing any Black women in the cast. Did you feel the weight of all that representation when you were on the show?”
“I don’t know that I would call it weight,” Nwodim responded. “I felt honored to be the seventh Black woman in that cast. I hope that there will be more Black women.”
She went on to acknowledge fellow former cast member Punkie Johnson, who joined the show in 2020 but also exited in 2024, saying, “Who knows who else they’ll find as they explore and seek out other talents?”
Reflecting on her time with SNL, Nwodim said she took pride in portraying a wide range of characters: “I do believe I represented a myriad of characters, different types of characters. Some people didn’t always catch that nuance, but I do feel like I got the chance to represent, and that was really important to me.”
Nwodim joined SNL in 2018 as a featured player before being promoted to the main cast in 2020. Discussing her departure, she likened her time on the show to a long-term relationship: “It’s like being in a marriage. I’ve never been married, but that show was my longest relationship ever,” she joked. “I’m not a commitment-phobe, but I heard when you’re married, you get the seven-year itch. I wanted to explore other opportunities.”
She added, “I miss my colleagues, but it felt like the right time to make space for something else for me. I learned so much from my time on SNL and had so much fun.”
In her September farewell post, Nwodim wrote:
“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight. But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL. I am immensely grateful to Lorne [Michaels] for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support, and friendship.”
She concluded the post with humor, adding, “Now invite me to your weddings, please!!!”
Nwodim later reunited with former co-star Heidi Gardner on her Thanks Dad podcast, where the pair reflected emotionally on their time at SNL. Gardner said, “I’m so honored that we worked so hard there, and that we also worked so hard on our friendship — which wasn’t hard, by the way.”#newsafro_
