Bowen Yang made his final appearance as a cast member on Saturday Night Live during the December 20, 2025, episode hosted by Ariana Grande. The bittersweet night featured memorable sketches, including a bloody Home Alone parody and an emotional farewell lounge scene with Grande and Cher. Yang's departure after seven years marks a significant change for the long-running sketch show.
The December 20, 2025, episode of Saturday Night Live served as a poignant send-off for Bowen Yang, who joined the show as a writer in 2018 and became a featured player in 2019 before promotion to repertory status in Season 47. Yang, the first Chinese American repertory player and only the third openly gay man on the cast, earned four Emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series. His exit follows recent departures of Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim, raising questions about the show's creative direction amid a perceived lull post-Season 50.
Hosted by Ariana Grande, her third time at the helm and coinciding with her Wicked co-star Yang's finale, the episode opened with Grande's monologue. She performed a humorous parody of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," lamenting gift ideas for her cousin's boyfriend—suggestions ranged from a Cameo by Matthew Morrison (proposed by Yang) to raw oysters and shampoo. The sketch resolved with news of the couple's breakup, earning laughs from the audience, who gave Yang extra cheers knowing it was his last show.
A standout was the twisted Home Alone parody, with Grande as Kevin McCallister and Ashley Padilla as the mother. The cast included Colin Jost as Buzz, Yang as Fuller, Sarah Sherman as Linnie, and Andrew Dismukes as the neighbor. The familiar reunion turned horrific when Kevin forgot to disarm his booby traps, resulting in the bloody demise of the family—echoing past violent SNL spoofs like a Scooby-Doo bloodbath with Jake Gyllenhaal and Sabrina Carpenter, or Pete Davidson's Dead Poets Society beheading.
Yang's final sketch depicted him as retiring Delta lounge attendant Ed, serving eggnog. Grande played his wife Rhonda, who quipped, "Oh, everyone knows you're a bottom, honey." They dueted "Please Come Home for Christmas," joined by Kenan Thompson and musical guest Cher as the "CEO of eggnog," who told Ed, "Everyone thought you were a little bit too gay. But do you know what? You're perfect for me." Yang grew emotional, saying, "This place will always be home."
In his Instagram post, Yang reflected: "I loved working at SNL, and most of all i loved the people... i'm grateful for every minute of my time there." Grande added during goodnights, "We love you so much." The episode also featured Yang in a duet with Grande on Carey's holiday hit and a Weekend Update segment with Aidy Bryant.
Yang's multifaceted career, including co-hosting the podcast Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers, suggests his influence will continue beyond Studio 8H.
