'SNL' Picks Michael Che to Replace Cecily Strong as 'Weekend Update' Anchor

Cecily Strong's time as a "Weekend Update" anchor has come to an end. Saturday Night Live has brought back former writer Michael Che to join Colin Jost as co-anchor of "Weekend Update" for the show's upcoming 40th season.

The New York Times broke the news on Thursday night, reporting that SNL showrunner Lorne Michaels had spent the summer trying out different combinations to anchor the show's faux news segment.

"It struggled to find an identity last season," Michaels told the Times. "This is about a new era, what feels appropriate for now. That's why we did a lot of combinations and tests, and this is kind of where we came out."

Michaels says that the move will allow Strong the chance to return more to performing in sketches, which is apparently something that she requested. Strong spent the past season anchoring "Weekend Update," starting the season with Seth Meyers and then partnering with Colin Jost.

Che is no stranger to SNL, previously being a part of the show's group of writers. He left this past April to join The Daily Show. No word about Che formally leaving The Daily Show, but there's little likelihood that the comedian will continue in that role now that he's back with SNL.

From what I've seen of Che on The Daily Show, the guy is fantastic. I remember thinking that it was too bad SNL lost him, so I'm happy to see that he's rejoined the show. I wish Michaels had partnered him with Strong, though. Jost never found his footing as a "Weekend Update" anchor last season, failing to bring anything unique to the job.

Of course, I haven't seen those summer "Update" tryouts Michaels held, so maybe the combination of Che and Jost will blow us all away.

The Times also reported that Michaels will "probably be making one or two more additions to the cast this season but that he had not yet reached a decision." We're just two weeks away from Chris Pratt kicking off the season, so Michaels better move fast.