Kate McKinnon Opens Up About Why She Decided to Leave SNL

Saturday Night Live Season 47 certainly didn't disappoint. It made us laugh, it made us think, and, ultimately, the roster of departures made us cry. Kate McKinnon said goodbye to the late-night show after an impressive 10-year run, as did fellow fan favorites Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney.

Although we weren't happy to see so many familiar faces taking their final bow on the SNL stage, Kate McKinnon recently revealed why she made the tough decision to close an exciting chapter in her career. 

Why did Kate McKinnon leave Saturday Night Live?

"I thought about it for a very long time, and it was very, very hard because all I ever wanted to do in my whole life was be on Saturday Night Live, and so I did," McKinnon told Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest on Live with Kelly and Ryan. "I loved it. I had the best decade, and then I was just like, my body was tired, and I felt like it was time."

Landing a dream job is an amazing accomplishment, but all good things must come to an end sooner or later. For McKinnon, letting go hasn't been easy, and for now, she's not quite ready to integrate SNL into her TV rotation. 

"I don’t know that I can watch the show yet because it’s just too emo because I miss everyone so much," she said. "I mean, it’s my family…It’s my other family, so it’s too emo." 

Watch McKinnon's best moments on Saturday Night Live on Peacock and on NBC.