‘SNL’ (Trans) Writer Celeste Yim Leaving After Five Years

Deadline ^ | August 25, 2025 | Peter White

[nickcarraway]

Saturday Night Live writer Celeste Yim is leaving the long-running NBC show after five years in the writers’ room.

Yim, who revealed the news on Instagram, joined the show in 2020 and was promoted to writing supervisor in 2023.

Yim, who wrote sketches including L’Eggs and We’re Trying, said, “After five seasons, I’m leaving my job at Saturday Night Live. Lorne hired me over the phone when I was 23 and the job literally made all of my dreams come true BUT it was also grueling and I slept in my office every week BUT my friends helped me with everything BUT I got yelled at by random famous men BUT some famous girls too BUT I loved it and I laughed every day and it’s where I grew up.”

Early Days Of ‘SNL’ To Be Depicted In New Off Broadway Play ‘Not Ready For Prime Time’ “I hate when other people say this but it’s true that I was the first ever out trans person to be a writer for SNL,” Yim added. “I always felt honored to be working within the long tradition of queer writing at the show. Many don’t know this but Chevy is non-binary! I feel so powerless to protect trans people in the world but writing connects us and makes us permanent, so it’s what I will continue to do.”

Yim, who has collaborated regularly with cast member Bowen Yang, gave a particular shout out to the Las Culturistas host for “changing my life and making me feel normal”, as well as many other cast members and writers. “Thank you very very much to every SNL assistant and production crew member who ever made any part of anything I ever wrote,” Yim added.

Yim, a 2021 Lambda Literary Playwriting Fellow and the 2019 recipient of the New York Foundation for the Arts Canadian Women Artists’ Award for Playwriting, was also behind short play Not Only Is Everyone As Wonderful.

[Texan4Life]

Sorry... I meant it as cancel.