Seth Meyers Denies 'False Narrative' About 'SNL' Takeover – Or That Lorne Michaels Is Leaving

Saturday night live Alum Seth Meyers chronicles the speculation over who creator Lorne Michaels will pass the torch to as the show approaches its 50th anniversary. During a recent appearance on by Mike Birbiglia By working it podcast, the Late Night with Seth MeyerHis host pushed back at the suggestion that he might take the helm – or that Michaels even has any real intention of giving it up.

“I really don't—I think that's a false narrative that Lorne is going anywhere,” Meyers told Birbiglia, who wondered if he or Tina Fey would be first in line to take over. “I think it made sense for Lorne, who, yes, took a burst for the dramatic to say, I think I'm going to be done at 50. Yeah. But now, it's not like Lorne has anything else he wants to do more than that.”

Michaels created SNL in 1975 and has served as producer and later executive producer on more than 800 episodes since then. Currently in its 49th season, the show only saw Michaels' absence during a brief hiatus spanning seasons six through 10. The 79-year-old recently said Entertainment Tonight that he's thinking about the future of the show, but hasn't committed to anything yet.

“Of course I've thought about it,” the producer said of choosing his successor. “We're doing the 50th anniversary show in February '25, so I'll definitely be there for that and I'll definitely be there until then. And sometime before that we'll figure out what we're going to do.”

He added: “Yeah, it could easily be Tina Fey. But there's a lot of people who are there now who are also, you know.” In the By working it podcast, Birbiglia and Meyers joked that it might end up in the hands of Kenan Thompson.

Meyers' tenure at Saturday night live it ran for 13 years, from 2001 to 2014. The late-night host worked on more than 200 episodes as head writer, cast member and Weekend Update anchor at various intervals. Late Night with Seth Meyers premiered in 2014, with Meyers taking over for Jimmy Fallon, who made the move to The Tonight Show. Joins the previous one Late at night hosted by Conan O'Brien and David Letterman.