Saturday Night Live cast member Cecily Strong said goodbye to the show after 11 seasons in a Weekend Update appearance where she reprised her popular character Cathy Anne one last time.
“I’m a little emo tonight, because I’m here to say goodbye,” she said, explaining that she was going to prison.
“After seven years, you had enough of me,” she joked, adding that prison would give her “some much needed stability” and she already had “friends on the inside” who “seemed to be doing okay.” A graphic behind her showed fellow former SNL stars Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant, who left the show after last season.
“Everybody has to go to jail at some point, right? It’s my time now,” she added. Breaking character slightly she noted, “I had a lot of fun here. And I feel really lucky that I have had so many of the best moments of my life in this place, and with these people that I love so much.”
The show’s final sketch featured longtime cast member Kenan Thompson honoring her for “eight incredible years working at Radio Shack”
“Well, I’ve been here 11,” she said.
“I know, and eight of them were incredible,” he replied.
Afterwards, Saturday night’s guest host Austin Butler, who stars in the movie Elvis, serenaded her with a rendition of Elvis Presley‘s “Blue Christmas,” joined by the entire cast.
SNL also announced Strong’s departure on its Instagram, sharing, “Tonight we send off one of the best to ever do it. We’ll miss you, Cecily!”
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