‘Saturday Night Live’: Michael Che in as ‘Weekend Update’ co-anchor; Cecily Strong out

Well, this is certainly news that we did not see coming today. Given the popularity of Colin Jost as co-anchor on “Saturday Night Live’s” Weekend Update being reasonably low, we thought that if anyone was going to be replaced on the show, it was going to be him. While the man has certainly had his fair share of moments, he’s also come across as awkward and forced at times.

However, Lorne Michaels delivered a stunner in saying the Cecily Strong is out as co-anchor, and in her place now is writer and “Daily Show” correspondent Michael Che. Speaking to the New York Times, Michaels had the following to say about the news:

“This is about a new era, what feels appropriate for now … That’s why we did a lot of combinations and tests, and this is kind of where we came out.”

Michaels added that Cecily will now get an opportunity to appear in more sketches without sitting at the desk, but is this still really good news for her, given the other great people who have filled that role? We’d be somewhat hurt if we were in her shoes right now, unless she had actually said that she preferred doing traditional sketches to this.

There was no mention of new cast members in this article, though it seems like Mike O’Brien will be staying put this year after his future was uncertain. Nick Rutherford and Alison Rich, who have a history with some cast members already, have joined the show’s writing staff this year.

What is your reaction to this, and are you as surprised as we are? Share below, and head over here to get the news on who will be hosting the first edition of “SNL” this season! You can also sign up if you want some further updates via our CarterMatt Newsletter.

Photo: NBC