Lorne Michaels has revealed that new blood is key to keeping “Saturday Night Live!” as “fresh” as possible.

The NBC honcho, 80, shared some rare insight into the major cast shakeups taking place behind the scenes of the late-night sketch comedy show after a slew of well-known names announced they would not be returning.

Speaking to Derek Hough on the red carpet at the 2025 Emmy Awards on Sunday, Michaels told Extra he was “thrilled” with how Season 50 of “SNL” turned out. 5

“The 50th anniversary was like two years in the making, but we were really happy about it,” he said.

When asked how he manages to keep the comedy show “fresh” after a whopping 50 years onscreen, Michaels admitted that “new people” is the only way to go.

“It’s essential that we bring new people in every year,

See Full Page