With the old, with the new.
Despite Heidi Gardner being a staple of the past eight seasons of Saturday Night Live, the comedian is not part of Season 51.
“It’s time for a new cast,” the insider told the outlet.
Gardner, 42, was the longest decorated female cast member before her shocking exit. Her longtime viral moments include her crack in a sketch of Ryan Gosling’s “Beavis and Butthead,” playing Travis Kelce’s ex-girlfriend, “Abby.”
Her popular and recurring characters on the show included Angel (all boxer girlfriend) and Gen Z film critic Bailey Gismart.
Gardner has yet to deal with her “SNL” departure. Her representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Page 6.
Earlier this week, Dana Carvey discussed Gardner’s exit on the “Fly On the Wall” podcast with him and “SNL” alumni David Spade.
“From what I know, like in this recording, it wasn’t her idea to leave,” Kerrvey said. “I might be wrong about that, but that’s what I read.”
“I think she has a good reputation,” he added. “She can play a real, straight news woman. She can play something big, brave, funny, physical, so I was surprised by it.”
Gardner is one of four cast members who leave the show amid the shake-up of the main cast. Michael Longfellow, Emile Wakim and Devon Walker are also not returning to the iconic sketch shows next season.
Instead, the series added five new cast members — Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Calhane, Ben Marshall, Cam Patterson and Veronica Slow Eccasca — announced on Tuesday.
In August, “SNL” boss Lorne Michaels hinted at the big changes and told Pack News he felt “pressure to reinvent this season.”
Walker later commented on leaving the show after three seasons, and told Rolling Stone that the month had their decisions on each other.
“Frankly, I think the best way I could put it was for me and the show to look at each other and we decided together that it was time for us to go a different path,” he said.
“I think I felt ready to leave the show. I think the show felt ready to leave me.”
Walker previously called the show “Toxic” when he announced his departure on Instagram.
“I did the show together for three years and sometimes it was really cool,” he wrote.
“Sometimes it was toxic like hell, but we… made the most of what it was, even amid all the dysfunction.
