Chloe Fineman has announced that she is leaving “Saturday Night Live” after seven seasons, saying it is time for her “next chapter”. Her departure matters because she has been one of the show’s most recognisable recent cast members, particularly for celebrity impressions, and she becomes an early confirmed exit ahead of the programme’s next season. In her statement, she described leaving as difficult but said it felt like the right moment.

Fineman joined “SNL” in 2019 for Season 45 and became known for impressions of figures including Jennifer Coolidge, Timothee Chalamet, Drew Barrymore, Britney Spears and JoJo Siwa. In a long Instagram post, she called working on the show “the greatest privilege” of her life and reflected on the intensity of producing sketches under pressure at Studio 8H. Variety reports she is the first cast member confirmed to leave before Season 52, with the full cast for the new season typically finalised in early September.