welcome to celeb scene Central comedian Punky Johnson has revealed why she left Saturday Night Live ahead of the sketch series Monumental season 50 Premiere in a new interview on SNL alums Dana Carvey and David Spades fly on the wall podcast the 39-year-old standup comic explained that she never fully settled into the show structure and that she'd long felt an internal struggle over whether or not to remain on the show's primary cast it's a big decision I feel like with me and SNL it was a neutral Thing by February of last season I was like nope I'm done Johnson recalled the season before that I questioned it I talked to my team like I don't really know if I belong at this job so maybe I should step away I told them super super late right after I found out I get to go back they're like Punky you need a plan you can't just quit your job Johnson also said that she felt lost after the departure of a r she'd worked closely with on personal sketches for the series and that her background in stand-up comedy on stage might have worked against her when it came to being comfortable with the program's rigid run of show I never grew up in sketch I never went to a sketch school I didn't really feel like I fit like that was my zone that show is for a different type of person Johnson admitted I'm crazy more out the box I'm all over the place that show is a structure after news broke earlier this month that Johnson wouldn't return for the show's 50th season the actress said she sent legendary Creator Lauren Michaels a sweet note I texted Lauren like look you know I love you I appreciate everything she remembered there are only four men in this business who believed in me and made way for me and Lauren is one of them still Johnson joked that she drove Michaels crazy on the set of the show and regularly played pranks on him like the time she asked him to buy her a gift on his birthday I think I drove him crazy to the point where he just started ignoring me Johnson said he's just like get out of my face I'd mess with him looking ahead Johnson who first joined SNL in 2020 said she's working on a movie and comedy special with Michaels and that she still has fond affection for the show that launched her to National stardom my relationship with the show is still strong we just mutually understood that it wasn't my zone she concluded Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for SNL for comment Saturday Night Live returns for season 50 on Saturday September 28th on NBC