Saturday Night Live is expanding its cast ahead of the show’s upcoming 52nd season.
NBC announced Wednesday Saidah Belo-Osagie and Grace Reiter are joining the long-running sketch comedy series as featured players.
Belo-Osagie’s addition brings a Black female comedian back to the cast following Ego Nwodim’s departure in September 2025 after seven seasons.
Nwodim’s exit left the series without a single Black woman in the cast after Leslie Jones departed in 2019, followed by Punkie Johnson, who left the show in 2024 and joined The Chi.
Related: ‘SNL’ Star Ego Nwodim Reveals Why She Left After 7 Seasons
Belo-Osagie is a first-generation Nigerian American from Queens, New York. She wrote and directed the short film Tinge, and is also the creator of the event series Afrobeats Futura and the solo show Saidah Gets Closure.
In a 2024 interview with Bold Journey, Belo-Osagie said her Nigerian American upbringing influenced her creative voice.
“My work comes from a desire to provide commentary on the culture that I grew up in as a first-generation Nigerian-American,” she told the outlet.
Reiter is originally from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Her credits include the upcoming series Minimum Wage, which she also wrote and directed, HBO’s The Chair Company and the online parody The Hunger Games (but Better).
The two newcomers will make their debut when SNL returns Saturday, Sept. 26. New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is set to host the season premiere, with girl group KATSEYE appearing as the musical guest.
The following week, Dakota Johnson will host the Oct. 3 episode, with Turnstile serving as musical guest. Comedian Shane Gillis will return for his third hosting stint on Oct. 10.
SNL is produced in association with Broadway Video. Lorne Michaels is the show’s creator and executive producer. The series airs live at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT Saturdays on NBC and Peacock.
The image above shows (L-R) Saidah Belo-Osagie and Grace Reiter, and is courtesy of Mike Klubeck and Jill Petracek via NBC.
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