Ex-SNL stars spill on show’s “toxic” chaos after mass firings and exits.

Two of Saturday Night Live’s most beloved alums are finally speaking out about their unexpected exits amid the show’s recent wave of firings and cast shake-ups.

Ahead of SNL’s landmark 51st season premiere — hosted by Bad Bunny — the series announced several high-profile departures, including Heidi Gardner, who left after eight years, along with Ego Nwodim, Devon Walker, and Michael Longfellow.

On Nwodim’s Thanks Dad podcast, Gardner, 42, grew emotional as she reflected on her time at SNL, describing it as both rewarding and “challenging.”

“I’m so honored that we worked so hard there — and on our friendship, too,” she said. “We’re human, we have egos, we want to succeed… but there weren’t always times when we could all do that at once.”

Gardner, who hasn’t revealed whether her SNL exit was voluntary, admitted she was “being really vulnerable” even discussing the subject.

Reflecting on last April’s episode hosted by her “hero” Jack Black, the Shrinking star praised Nwodim for having “the moment of the year” — while confessing she couldn’t help feeling a little jealous.

“There’s a part of me that thinks, ‘Wait, I should want that for myself,’” Gardner admitted. “But you had it — and it was f**king awesome.”

Nwodim responded, “It’s so easy to get wrapped up in your own stuff at SNL — what sketches you’re on, what you’re not, how you’re doing, and wishing you had what someone else has.”

“I remember so many times thinking, ‘Why can’t we both be winning at the same time?’” Gardner said. “It would feel like a full celebration — not one of us frustrated while the other’s on cloud nine.”

Although Nwodim was invited back for the new season, it remains unclear whether Gardner chose to leave or was let go amid Lorne Michaels’ major cast shake-up.

“The sketches come and go — some are fun, some are tough, some you’re not that into,” Nwodim told Gardner. “But in a place that can get so competitive and self-focused, to leave still being kind, bright, and generous — that’s success. You were such a light in what can be such a hard environment.”

Like Nwodim, who described SNL as “not the easiest place” to work, Walker echoed similar feelings following his departure.

“To be honest, the best way to put it is that the show and I kind of looked at each other and mutually decided it was time to part ways,” he told Rolling Stone in August.

“I felt ready to move on, and I think the show felt ready too,” he added. “We both knew it was time for something new.”

Walker previously shared on Instagram that while SNL could be “toxic as h**l,” the cast “made the most of it, even with all the dysfunction.”

“We built a f**ked-up little family,” he wrote.

We has reached out to Gardner’s representatives for comment, while an NBC spokesperson declined to respond.

Gardner joined Saturday Night Live in 2017 during Season 43 as a featured player alongside Luke Null and Chris Redd, before being promoted to the main cast two years later.

Since then, the Missouri native has become a standout performer, writing and starring in numerous memorable sketches — most notably as Bailey Gismert, the hilariously awkward teen film critic featured on Weekend Update.

During her eight years on SNL, Gardner also impersonated several high-profile celebrities, including Reba McEntire, Oscar-winner Mikey Madison, and Kim Kardashian.

She reunited with fellow cast members and alums for the show’s 50th anniversary special in February.

Gardner’s departure follows earlier hints that she might be stepping away. On an episode of Craig Ferguson’s Joy podcast, she admitted that behind-the-scenes life had grown “a little tough” and that she was experiencing creative fatigue.

“I will say the only thing I’ve started to feel is a bit of sketch fatigue, or idea fatigue,” she told Ferguson. “After doing Groundlings and SNL for so long, I’ve written a lot of sketches.”

Gardner’s sudden exit sparked a wave of reactions from SNL fans on social media, with some even calling for the show to be canceled ahead of Season 51.

Some speculated that the mass departures might be tied to budget cuts, urging NBC to “just cancel SNL already.”

Fans expressed frustration over losing another favorite cast member, with one calling Gardner “the heart and soul of the show” and another noting, “Wow, she’s one of the funny people still there.”

Amid the disappointment, several viewers also saw her departure as a chance for a new, younger comic to shine on the iconic series.