Matt Rogers Reflects on Bowen Yang's Sudden 'Saturday Night Live' Exit: 'You Do Have to Leave the Party Just a Little Bit Early'

Matt Rogers is providing insight into his close pal Bowen Yang‘s departure from Saturday Night Live.

The 35-year-old comedian wrapped up his run on the show in December, appearing in one final episode alongside Wicked costar Ariana Grande and pop icon Cher on December 20.

During an appearance on Today with Jenna & Friends on Jan. 5, Bowen‘s Las Culturistas co-host shed some light on the star’s sudden exit and what possibly inspired it.

Keep reading to find out more…

Matt, 35, seemed to imply that Bowen decided to exit in part because he had already achieved so much during his more than seven-year run.

“I know a lot of people are surprised because they feel like he’s such a fixture, but seven and a half years on the show, five Emmy nominations, countless memorable characters and sketches,” he reflected to host Jenna Bush Hager.

Matt continued, adding, “And he was there for the 50th [anniversary of SNL]. And I think then there was the opportunity for an episode with Ariana and Cher. What was he supposed to do, stay after that?”

The podcaster, who also shared the screen with Bowen in 2022′s Fire Island, added that it was “hard to say goodbye.” However, he opined “Sometimes you do have to leave the party just a little bit early,” explaining, “You don’t want to be the last one.”

He recalled watching Bowen‘s final moments on the show, saying that he felt emotional and was proud that the comedian became “the face of that show” even though the odds were against him.

Back in December, Bowen opened up about leaving SNL in a heartfelt post on Instagram, where he wrote, “I loved working at SNL, and most of all I loved the people.”

“I was there at a time when many things in the world started to seem futile, but working at 30 rock taught me the value in showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile,” he continued.

He thanked many for helping him and being there along his journey, specifically calling out “every cast member for making me laugh and cry” and SNL‘s creator and producer Lorne Michaels.

If you missed it, a popular SNL star made a surprise comeback for Bowen‘s last episode!