Che, who is a correspondent on 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' , will join Colin Jost on the 'Weekend Update' desk on the show's upcoming 40th season.
- September 12, 2014
AceShowbiz -
"Saturday Night Live" has announced a new "Weekend Update" anchor. Michael Che, who has been a writer on the NBC sketch series, will replace Cecily Strong and join co-anchor Colin Jost in the segment for the 40th installment of the show.
Series creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels tells New York Times that they picked Che after trying out "a number of different combinations" in the last few weeks. He says of the 31-year-old comedian who is also a correspondent on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", "Michael is a strong writer, and he's really funny."
"This is about a new era, what feels appropriate for now," Michaels says of the new pairing, which marks the first time two men host the "Weekend Update" segment. "That's why we did a lot of combinations and tests, and this is kind of where we came out."
Strong will remain on "SNL" as a regular cast member. Michaels notes that Strong had to adjust twice last season. She first debuted as a "Weekend Update" co-anchor with Seth Meyers and then was joined by Jost after Meyers left the show to host NBC's "Late Night" show.
The new season of "SNL" kicks off September 27 with "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Parks and Recreation" star Chris Pratt hosting and Ariana Grande as first-time musical guest.
