Pete Davidson said a heartfelt and funny goodbye to "Saturday Night Live" on last night's season finale.
Davidson, 28, confirmed his plans to leave the cast ahead of the show on social media. On Saturday, the comic stepped in on the "Weekend Update" segment like he's frequently done in the past, but this time to share some parting words.
"Hello Colin and Che and millions of people only watching to see if I bring up Kanye," he began, referencing the ex-husband of his girlfriend, Kim Kardashian.
Colin Jost commented that Davidson had "a weird year."
"Yeah, I never imagined this would be my life," said Davidson. "Look at me when I started here," he said as a picture of much younger and slightly dorkier version of himself appeared on the screen.
"I was just a skinny kid and no one knew what race I was," he joked.
At just 20 years-old when he started on "SNL" as a featured player, Davidson was one of the youngest cast members ever.
“I’m aging like an old banana,” Davidson said of his now more mature appearance. “And Colin still looks like the only Kennedy who doesn’t drink.”
"So are you officially leaving?" Jost asked Davidson.
"Yeah, Lorne (Michaels) accidentally gifted me a sock, so I'm free," Davidson said, referencing a character from "Harry Potter" who became a freed elf in this manner.
Jost went on to ask Davidson if there's anything he'll be nostalgic for about "SNL." Davidson said he would miss producer Michaels, who always gave him the best advice. He recalled calling Michaels to share the news that he got engaged to singer Ariana Grande after dating for just two weeks.
"He said, 'Oh! Hold on for dear life!'" Davidson said, doing a spot-on imitation of his boss.
He also remembered Michaels telling him he wasn't a good fit when he first first auditioned for "SNL."
"(He said) 'I don't think you're right for this show. So let's screw this up together,'" Davidson recalled. "And that's exactly what we did, and that's why people who don't think I deserve this job shouldn't hate me, since we have so much in common. If anything, I should inspire hope that literally anyone could be on 'Saturday Night Live.'"
When the laughter subsided, Davidson turned serious to thank the show he's called home for the past eight years.
"I appreciate 'SNL' always having my back and allowing me to work on myself and grow," he said, while Jost looked emotional at his side. "Thank you to Lorne for never giving up on me or judging me even when everyone else was, and for believing in me and allowing me to have a place I could call home with memories that will last a lifetime."
Despite leaving "SNL," Davidson still has a busy year ahead: He co-created and stars in the upcoming Peacock series “Bupkis.” Davidson and Jost also recently purchased a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry boat together and reportedly have plans to turn it into an arts and entertainment club, according to the New York Times.
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