What forced Heidi Gardner to leave SNL after eight years ahead of the 51st season

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Heidi Gardner, a seasoned cast member of "Saturday Night Live," is set to depart after eight seasons, joining Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, and Michael Longfellow. Gardner, known for her memorable characters, expressed experiencing creative exhaustion after years of sketch writing between Groundlings and SNL. While she loves playing characters, she acknowledged the challenge of consistently generating fresh ideas.