‘SNL’ finale: Pete Davidson says goodbye to his ‘home;’ Kate McKinnon abducted by aliens
Pete Davidson and Kate McKinnon (Photos by Paul Morigi and Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - Pete Davidson bid farewell to "Saturday Night Live" on the show’s finale this weekend after eight seasons with the late-night program.
The 28-year-old made his final goodbye on the "Weekend Update" news segment, saying hello to co-hosts Colin Jost, Michael Che and "millions of people only watching to see if I bring up Kanye."
Davidson began dating Kanye West's ex Kim Kardashian after she hosted the show last October, raising the ire of the "Stronger" rapper. Kardashian wasn't at the show because she's in Italy for her sister Kourtney Kardashian's wedding.
"I never imagined this would be my life," he said, adding when he first started at 20 years old he was "just a skinny kid and no one knew what race I was." But he says now everyone knows he’s White because he "became hugely successful while barely showing up to work."
FILE - Pete Davidson attends The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2022 in New York City. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
In a reference to Will Smith slapping "SNL" alum Chris Rock, Davidson self-deprecatingly joked that on one hand, he doesn’t condone audience members jumping onstage to hit comedians but "on the other it’s how I know all my shows will be sold out."
The comedian said he would miss "SNL" creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels who he said gives him the best advice, including during his audition for the show.
"He looked me right in the eye and said 'I don't know, I don't think you're right for this show, so let's screw this up together,' " Davidson said. "And that's exactly what we did."
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 17: Actors Pete Davidson (L) and Kyle Mooney attend the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
He said he knows he has his detractors but he believes his tenure on the sketch program should be an inspiration "that literally anyone could be on ‘Saturday Night Live.’"
He joked the next loser people see in their neighborhood could be "the next Pete Davidson."
He added a special thank you to Michaels for "never giving up on me, or judging me, even like when everyone else was. And for believing in me and allowing me to have a place that I could call home."
Cast members Kate McKinnon and Kenan Thompson stand with guest-host Natasha Lyonne and musical guest Japanese Breakfast before the May 21, 2022, season finale. ((Photo by: Will Heath/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images))
He also wrote an emotional goodbye on Instagram hours before his final show.
In the show’s cold open, longtime cast member Kate McKinnon gave her reported farewell after 10 seasons in a running sketch where she plays a yokel who goes into too much detail about her supposed alien abductions.
The cold open is usually a topical sketch and the show likely did the McKinnon favorite as a special tribute.
At the end of the sketch, she finally boards her oft-spoken-about spaceship saying with real emotion, "Earth I love ya, thanks for letting me stay awhile" before shouting the obligatory "Live from New York it’s Saturday Night!"
Cast members Aidy Bryant and Kyle Mooney were also reported to be leaving the show.
Bryant also gave a goodbye of sorts during a running "Weekend Update" segment called "Trend Forecasters" with cast member Bowen Yang.
Yang, in character as white and black-clad fashionista and critic, called her "a friend I couldn’t have done this without," before he and Che kissed her on the cheek and gave her flowers.
Actress Natasha Lyonne guest-hosted the episode and Japanese Breakfast was the musical guest.
"SNL" alums Fred Armisen, Lyonne’s ex, and Maya Rudolph made surprise appearances.