Comedian Marcello Hernández and Ariana Grande got real about Bowen Yang's departure from Saturday Night Live. "I look at it like sports, you know? That's a guy that put up numbers. Consistent, always putting up big sketches," Hernández, 28, said on E!'s Live From the Red Carpet during the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, January 4. "He had a distinct voice and everybody loves him, and it's for a reason." The comedian added, "He's a hard worker. I saw him behind the scenes grinding every week, and that's a guy to learn from, for sure." Former SNL star Ego Nwodim also spoke with Justin Sylvester during Sunday's red carpet, referring to Yang as her "husband" and revealing that she didn't have a heads-up regarding his departure. Nwodim, 37, also referenced her viral "men ain't s***" SNL joke after saying that she hadn't heard from Yang. Critics Choice Awards 2026 Red Carpet: All the Best Looks Elsewhere on the carpet, Sylvester also spoke to Grande, 32, who noted it was "really special" to host Yang's final episode. The singer said she was "really grateful" to be able to "support" a "real life" friend. "He's just so incredible," she added. (Grande starred alongside Yang in both Wicked movies.) News broke last month that Yang, 35, would be taking his final SNL bow during the NBC show's Christmas episode, hosted by Grande with Cher as the musical guest. "I loved working at SNL, and most of all I loved the people," Yang captioned an Instagram post hours before his last live show on December 20. "I was there at a time when many things in the world started to seem futile, but working at 30 Rock taught me the value in showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile." He concluded his tribute, writing, "I'm grateful for every minute of my time there. I learned about myself (bad with wigs). I learned about others (generous, vulnerable, hot). I learned that human error can be nothing but correct. I learned that comedy is mostly logistics and that it will usually fail until it doesn't, which is the besssst." Yang got emotional during his final sketch during the December 20 show - especially because it was dedicated to his departure. 2026 Critics Choice Awards Winners List The holiday-themed travel skit featured Yang working as a Delta Sky Club employee giving out free eggnog for the holidays to several of his coworkers. His onscreen persona was married to Grande. "I can't believe you're retiring," Grande said at one point, referencing his departure. Yang replied, "I just wanted to go out on top!" He and Grande shared a sweet and emotional hug, while Cher joined them on stage. The following day, Yang took to social media with a tribute to his final show, explaining why that one sketch made him so emotional. "Slightly perilous but then reached the full sublime," he shared via Instagram Stories on December 21, posting footage from the Mario Kart World video game in which a cow flipped on Rainbow Road. "All day felt like this yesterday." Yang addressed his final skit, specifically, as his social media post continued. "A train of waving friends riding alongside??? It was seeing and hearing from so many people whose love overwhelmed me to tears," he continued. "I will never experience anything like that in my life."