Heidi Gardner is leaving the popular American TV show, Saturday Night Live (SNL), after eight seasons on the show. Her exit follows the departures of her former castmates, Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow and Emil Wakim. The drastic cast change ahead of the October 4, 2025, premiere of SNL‘s season 51 might create trouble for the showmakers. Amid the buzz surrounding Heidi’s SNL exit, her past efforts for the show, such as securing Travis Kelce as a host, gained renewed attention.
Heidi Gardner put in great efforts to get Travis Kelce to host SNL
Heidi Gardner is a native of Kansas City, which is also home to Travis Kelce. The former SNL cast member is a self-proclaimed Kansas City Chiefs fan and had once gone to great lengths to secure Travis as a host of the show. She revealed that it took ‘a couple of years’ of persistent effort to persuade the SNL creator, Lorne Michaels, to have the American football tight end as SNL‘s host. Lorne had a big condition for accepting Heidi’s request, as shared by her through a 2024-released podcast, Not Skinny But Not Fat. Revealing the demanding condition, she said:
“Lorne was like, ‘Well, he [Travis Kelce] has to win the Super Bowl.’ I was like, ‘That is so much pressure to ask. And then he won the Super Bowl.”
Heidi Gardner considered getting Travis Kelce on SNL her ‘biggest swing’
Heidi pitched the idea of getting Travis to host SNL due to her personal admiration for his humour and charming personality. Her esteem and adoration for him stemmed from their time together at the ESPY Awards. After her desire to bring Travis to the show was fulfilled, she called it one of her most significant achievements on the show. Although she was instrumental in the popular sportsperson’s addition to SNL, she didn’t take the full credit for it, showcasing her modesty. In the podcast, she acknowledged the show’s talent department’s contributions and said:
“The biggest swing I ever did in that [talent] department, and it did work, but it took a couple of years, was Travis Kelce. I don’t want to take full credit from the show and the talent department, but I’m just, obviously, a big Chiefs fan, and I had seen him do like other little acting gigs and appearances, and I was like, ‘He’s funny, he’s charming.’ I had done the ESPYs with him, announcing something together, and yeah, I just kept on going to the show.”
When did Travis Kelce make his SNL debut?
Travis ultimately hosted SNL in March 2023, after fulfilling Lorne Michaels’ clause and winning the Super Bowl. Heidi’s observation regarding Kelce’s natural charisma and her belief that he would be an excellent fit for the show actually proved correct. The audience loved him as the host of SNL. Heidi even organised a Kansas City-style tailgate party in her dressing room to make him feel at home during his hosting debut. Since then, Travis has continued to expand his presence in the entertainment world. His notable appearances included Grotesquerie and hosting the game show, “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?”
What does Heidi Gardner’s exit from SNL imply about the show?
Heidi’s departure, reported on August 28, 2025, is part of a larger cast shakeup and creative reset for the show, ahead of its 51st season. Her exit follows the departures of other cast members, including Devon Walker, Michael Longfellow and Emil Wakim. As the longest-tenured female cast member, Heidi’s end of association with the show, along with other exits, signals an intentional push by Lorne Michaels to reinvent the long-running series.
What do you think about Heidi Gardner’s efforts to get Travis Kelce to host SNL?
Also Read: Heidi Gardner Leaves ‘SNL’ After Eight Seasons: Inside Her Net Worth, Family, And Reason For Exit