Cecily Strong to Join Seth Meyers for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE's 'Weekend Update'

According to The New York Times, Seth Meyers has gained a co-anchor on the 'Weekend Update' desk.

Long-time SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE producer Lorne Michaels has confirmed to the publication that newcomer Cecily Strong will join Meyers for the much-heralded news-comedy segment, beginning with the premiere episode on Sept. 25.

"Cecily, from the first show, was right there," Michaels said. "She exploded."

At midseason, Strong will either transition into a solo role on the segment - or, if Michaels has it his way, Meyers will stay on despite his new gig as host of LATE NIGHT, which begins Feb. 24.

As previously announced, Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, and Jason Sudeikis will not return, with Seth Meyers exiting at midseason to host LATE NIGHT, while Jimmy Fallon moves over to THE TONIGHT SHOW.

With such an overhaul comes the potential for some fresh faces to step in and take reins.

The Hollywood Reporter has announced that SNL has chosen five new cast members to be added to the ranks, including seasoned show writer Mike O'Brien. Also joining the show are Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney, the USC pair who founded the comedy group Good Neighbor, and physical comedians John Milhiser and Noel Wells. The Times has also confirmed that SNL will welcome a sixth cast member, Brooks Whelan, while Tim Robinson will join the writers' desk.

As previously reported, SNL alum and 30 ROCK star/creator Tina Fey will return to host the season opener on Sept. 28, with Miley Cyrus set to pull double duty as host and performer on Oct. 5.

Since its inception in 1975, "SNL" has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy performers of their generation; and, as The New York Times noted on the occasion of the show's Emmy-winning 25th Anniversary special in 1999: "In defiance of both time and show business convention, 'SNL' is still the most pervasive influence on the art of comedy in contemporary culture." At the close of the century, "Saturday Night Live" placed seventh on Entertainment Weekly's list of the Top 100 Entertainers of the past fifty years.

The program has won 36 Emmy Awards and now holds the title for the most nominated television show in Emmy history with 156 nominations. "SNL" has been honored twice, in 1990 and 2009, with the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and cited as "truly a national institution." "Saturday Night Live" was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame by the National Association of Broadcasters, and the show continues to garner the highest ratings of any late-night television program, entertaining millions each week.

Photo Courtesy of NBC

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