Comedy History

‘SNL’ Gets First Black News Anchor

Writer Michael Che goes to Weekend Update.

Comedian Michael Che will replace Cecily Strong as co-anchor of Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update news segment. Che will join Colin Jost at the Update desk, while Strong will remain on the show as a repertory player. Che joined SNL as a writer last year, and has also been working as a correspondent for Comedy Central’s The Daily Show—a position he will now leave. The Update shakeup comes after a season in which SNL was criticized by some for the show’s lack of diversity, which prompted producers to launch a search to find a black woman cast member, eventually hiring Sasheer Zamata, as well as two black women writers. Che becomes the first black co-anchor in the history of Weekend Update.