Devon Walker Clears Up Confusion Over ‘Saturday Night Live’ Exit: ‘Time to Go Our Separate Ways’

Devon Walker Clears Up Confusion Over 'Saturday Night Live' Exit: 'Time to Go Our Separate Ways'

Devon Walkerset the record straight about his exit fromSaturday Night Liveahead of season 51. "To be frank, I guess the best way I put it is like me and the show kind of looked at each other and we decided together that it was time to go our separate ways," Walker, 34, toldRolling Stonein an interview published on Saturday, August 30. "I think I felt ready to leave the show, and I think the show felt ready to leave me. I was just ready to do something else. We both felt like it was time. This was such a big time commitment, and life commitment. There's been a lot of life stuff that I feel like I've had to miss out on. And I felt ready to do a different version of my life. I think that me and the show are both ready to turn the page." Walker surprisedSNLfans when he announced on Monday, August 25, that he wasleaving the NBC sketch showafter three seasons. His announcement was the first in a string of exits that would also seeMichael Longfellow,Emil WakimandHeidi GardneralldepartingSaturday Night Live. In his announcement, Walker seemed to suggest he'd had a complicated experience working onSaturday Night Live, admitting that "sometimes it was really cool [and] sometimes it was toxic as hell." 'Saturday Night Live' Season 51: Premiere Date, Cast Exits and Everything You Need to Know "We made the most of what it was, even amidst all the dysfunction," he wrote. "We made a f***ed up lil family." Speaking toRolling Stone, Walker noticeably downplayed any insinuation that there was bad blood between himself andSNL. "I got to work at the show in my first two seasons with two of my best friends in the world — [writers]Gary RichardsonandAlex English," he pointed. "To me, that really felt like family. And you spend so much time together, we're seeing each other way more than we're seeing our families. Being able to be in that environment, in the foxhole with two people who are so close to me — I feel really grateful for that." The actor went on, "And even people who I didn't know before, likeJames Austin Johnson. I never met him a day in my life before I got started atSNL, and that man really looked out for me in ways that he really didn't have to. There are people there who, even if you didn't know each other before, you forge a bond with." Walker mentioned that he loved the "fraternity" environment ofSNLthat allowed him to interact with legendary cast members at February's 50th anniversary special. "I might see, like,Adam Sandler, you know, and he's talking about how there's a shorthand," the comic said. "Even though he went through the show 30 years before I ever got there, we know what it is. There's just an understanding that anybody who's ever worked there will always share." As for the future, Walker insisted that he was "genuinely very excited" about whatever comes next in his career. 9 Moments From Saturday Night Live's Milestone 50th Season "I think when somebody leavesSNL, people's impulse is to be like, 'Oh, I'm really sorry," he acknowledged. "But to me, getting onSNLwas such a blessing. I was never even training to do that thing. That's just like a God thing, a fortunate happenstance that I ended up getting to be on that show. I'm proud of a lot of the work that I did on there, but wait till people get to see the stuff that I really want to do." Fans — and even formerSNLcast members — have been buzzing about what other changes could take place behind the scenes before season 51 kicks off. FormerSNLstarPunkie Johnson— who exited the show after four years in 2024 — perfectlycaptured the whiplash effectmany fans have been feeling. Reacting to an Instagram post announcing Longfellow's departure, Johnson, 40, wrote: "WTF is happening… This is likeThe Departed… My sexy handsome work husband… I love you so much…I'll call you… Welcome back outside baby…. I'll see you out here soon." Saturday Night Livereturns this fall on NBC.

byAlpha World

in

August 31, 2025

Devon Walker Clears Up Confusion Over ‘Saturday Night Live’ Exit: ‘Time to Go Our Separate Ways’

Devon Walker Clears Up Confusion Over 'Saturday Night Live' Exit: 'Time to Go Our Separate Ways' Devon Walkerset the record ...

Read More

Olivia Newton-John pushed back against provocative song with 'spicy' lyrics: book

Olivia Newton-John pushed back against provocative song with 'spicy' lyrics: book

Olivia Newton-John was worried about letting people hear her body talk. The singer, who won countless hearts as Sandy in "Grease" and charmed many more as music's wholesome girl next door, was hesitant to be bad. But with a little encouragement from one of her closest confidantes, she channeled the animal in her with the song "Physical." John Mason, who represented the late singer for 50 years, has written a new memoir,"Crazy Lucky."It explores what it takes to defend the famous during career-defining moments. He still represents Newton-John's estate and her daughter, Chloe Lattanzi. Mason previously worked with Roy Orbison, Reba McEntire, Shakira and Quincy Jones, among others. Beach Boys Founder Brian Wilson Regretted Being Blocked From Band's Hit Song: Book Mason wrote in his book that when Newton-John first read the lyrics, she exclaimed, "John, I simply cannot do it. I can't sing the lyrics… Please!" But for Mason, the song was "edgy" – and exactly what the star needed to reinvent herself. Read On The Fox News App "Olivia Newton-John always had what she called a 'goody-two-shoes' persona," Mason told Fox News Digital. "She always had a young, girlish energy.When she did 'Grease,'the surprise to me was that she came out and did 'You're the One That I Want' in that black tight outfit. Randal Kleiser, the director, certainly helped Olivia to get out of the image of Sandy… And then she became the 'Bad Sandy.' But in her mind… She was still the same girl who had recorded 'I Honestly Love You.'" According to Mason's book, "Physical" was first presented to Tina Turner. She turned it down because the lyrics were "a bit too sexy." It was Turner who suggested giving the song to Newton-John because "who would expect Olivia Newton-John to sing those words?" But Newton-John wasn't having it. WATCH: OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN FEARED LOSING 'GOODY-TWO-SHOES' IMAGE WITH 'PHYSICAL' "John, the lyrics have me singing 'There's nothin' left to talk about unless it's horizontally!'" Mason recalled the star telling him. "'I'm worried the fans won't embrace it." "No, I can't do that. That is just contrary to my image," she told him. But Mason heard a different tune. "She asked me what I thought, and I said, 'It's worth it,'" Mason told Fox News Digital. "'Your manager thinks that it will enhance your image. Go for it.' And she did." Newton-John was said to be so worried about recording "Physical" that her manager, Roger Davies, assured her that if anything happened, "You can blame me." Newton-John slipped into her leotards and leg warmers for the bouncy single. It was a smash hit. Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter "'Physical' became the biggest number one, not only that Olivia ever had, but that anybody ever had at that time," said Mason. "Physical" debuted on Sept. 28, 1981, two months after MTV was launched. It was the most iconic solo hit of Newton-John's decades-long career and one of the most defining smashes of the 1980s,Billboard.comreported. It also allowed Newton-John to embrace a sexier image on her terms. "The [music] video is hilarious to this day," said Mason. "I want to give credit to Roger Davies for getting Olivia to open up and let that happen. But as always, with Olivia as an actress or a singer, she pulled off what she wanted to do in a spectacular way." Mason wrote in his book that radio stations banned the song for being too racy. It went on to sell even more copies. "I would say the concept for the video, as opposed to the record, was really, really exciting for her," he said. "She had the best personality. She was such a funny person, and when you watch the 'Physical' video today, you can see that she just had fun. When the record came out, the lyrics were a little what she would call 'spicy.' But they made it into something fun. Like What You're Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News "'Physical' was about running on the treadmill and getting in shape, as much as it was about the innuendo of the song. [But] I think the words, 'unless it's horizontally,' are definitely an implication of something other than getting on the treadmill." "She had fun with it," Mason continued. "It was a blast. And [every] time I saw Olivia perform 'Physical' after the record was released, she always treated it like fun. To her, it was just a great uplifting experience, and one that spoke to people in a way about being fit, as well as being sexy." Newton-John's aerobics-friendly promotional clipwon a Grammy for best video. Newton-John later admitted that she blushed as she sang, "There's nothing left to talk about/Unless it's horizontally" before calling out, "Let's get animal! Animal!" "I recorded it and then suddenly thought, 'Goodness, maybe I've gone too far!'" she toldEntertainment Weeklyin 2017. "I called Roger and said, 'We've got to pull this song!' He said, 'It's too late. It's already gone to the radio, and it's running up the charts.' I was horrified!" Back in 2021, Newton-John spoke to Fox News Digital about how "Physical" reinvented her image. At the time, she said the songwas originally intended for Rod Stewartbefore it was offered to Turner. "I heard the song, and I thought, 'Wow, that's a great song,'" she recalled at the time. "I didn't really realize what it was about. I didn't think until I'd finished it and then freaked out. [I thought then] 'I think I've gone too far, I think I've gone too far.' But it worked for me, so I'm very happy that I took the chance." Newton-John admittedthe lyrics were a bit "raunchy"but "I don't think I was really aware of how raunchy it was when I was recording it until afterward, and that's when I freaked out." "I felt a little embarrassed to be banned,"the "Grease" staradmitted. "But looking back now, I go, 'That was great.' It got attention. And also compared to what I'm listening to on the radio now, it's more like a lullaby." Newton-John died in 2022following a long journey with breast cancer. She was 73. Original article source:Olivia Newton-John pushed back against provocative song with 'spicy' lyrics: book

byAlpha World

in

August 31, 2025

Olivia Newton-John pushed back against provocative song with 'spicy' lyrics: book

Olivia Newton-John pushed back against provocative song with 'spicy' lyrics: book Olivia Newton-John was worried about letting peopl...

Read More

Powerball jackpot jumps to $1.1 billion after no winning tickets Saturday

Powerball jackpot jumps to $1.1 billion after no winning tickets Saturday

ThePowerballjackpot has risen to an estimated $1.1 billion, the fifth-largest ever in the game's history, after there were no winning tickets for Saturday night's $1 billion grand prize. Saturday's winning numbers were 3, 18, 22, 27 and 33, with a Powerball of 17. Nine tickets matched all five white balls to win $1 million, but no ticket matched all six. Four of those tickets were sold in California, and one each was sold in Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, according to Powerball. Lottery officials also said three tickets that matched all five white balls were sold with the game's "power play" option, which costs an extra $1 per ticket and doubles the value of any prizes. In the latest drawing, those tickets were worth $2 million each and sold to Powerball players in Colorado, Indiana and New Hampshire. The $1.1 billion jackpot for Monday night's drawing has an estimated cash value of $498.4 million. Based on the jackpot estimate, a single jackpot winner on Monday would have the choice of taking a lump sum payment of $498.4 million before taxes, or going with the annuity option, which would consist of one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year, each payment also before taxes. Saturday's drawing marked the sixth time in the game's 33-year history that the top prize has climbed to the billion-dollar mark. No one has won Powerball's jackpot since May 31, when a single ticketin Californiawon a $204.5 million jackpot with a cash value of $91.6 million. Four of the five previous billion-plus-jackpot-winning tickets were sold in California, including a single ticket sold in Altadena in 2022 that claimed a $2.04 billion jackpot, thelargest in both Powerball and lottery history. The next drawing, which takes place from the Florida Lottery live draw studio in Tallahassee, is on Monday at 11 p.m. ET. Tickets are $2 and are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Long Island home renovation that uncovered a hidden story Passage: In memoriam Dr. Sanjay Gupta on the mysteries of chronic pain

byAlpha World

in

August 31, 2025

Powerball jackpot jumps to $1.1 billion after no winning tickets Saturday

Powerball jackpot jumps to $1.1 billion after no winning tickets Saturday ThePowerballjackpot has risen to an estimated $1.1 billion, the fi...

Read More

Boy rescued by bystanders from Hersheypark elevated monorail

Boy rescued by bystanders from Hersheypark elevated monorail

A young boy was rescued as he walked along an elevated monorail track at the Hersheypark theme park in Hershey, Pa., Saturday in a momentcaught on video. According to a statement from park officials, the boy was reported missing just after 5 p.m. ET Saturday after becoming separated from his parents. "While our team was actively searching, the child entered a secured area for the Monorail, which was not in operation," the park statement said, adding that the ride was closed and barricaded at the time. "The child remained at the closed station for about 20 minutes before briefly walking along the track," the park statement continued. "A guest quickly noticed and helped guide the child to safety." MORE: Death of 9-year-old girl at Hersheypark ruled accidental, no criminal activity found: Police The video, captured by a park attendee, shows the boy walking back and forth along the elevated monorail track. A bystander then climbs atop a nearby building and then onto the track, where he takes the boy into his arms and lowers him to safety with the assitance of another bystander. "Our team members immediately responded after he was spotted on the tracks, and at approximately 5:28 p.m. the child was safely reunited with his family. He was unharmed," the Hersheypark statement said. "We are grateful for the vigilance of our guests and the swift response of our team, and we remain committed to maintaining the highest levels of guest safety throughout Hersheypark," the park statement concluded. Just over one month ago, a 9-year-old girldrownedin the wave pool at Hersheypark in a death that was ultimately ruled accidental. A review by police concluded that the park upheld safety standards and that the number of people in the wave pool at the time was "significantly less than its designed maximum capacity," according to a Derry Township Police statement released on Aug. 1.

byAlpha World

in

August 31, 2025

Boy rescued by bystanders from Hersheypark elevated monorail

Boy rescued by bystanders from Hersheypark elevated monorail A young boy was rescued as he walked along an elevated monorail track at the He...

Read More

Soap opera star claims 'people tried to run me off the freeway' over villainous TV role

Soap opera star claims 'people tried to run me off the freeway' over villainous TV role

Tracey Bregmanis soap opera royalty, but there are some people who haven't been too fond of some of her storylines. Bregman recently claimed that her most famous character, Lauren Fenmore in "The Young and the Restless," was originally so poorly received that she received death threats. She went as far as saying "people tried to run me off the freeway" due to her character's behavior. Lauren Fenmore made her first appearance in the long-runningdaytime dramain 1983, and Bregman has been playing her ever since. While the character is a fan favorite now, it wasn't always that way. In the beginning, Lauren was a bully, and Bregman recalled specifically that her character's treatment of co-star Beth Maitland's Traci Abbott was a tough pill for fans to swallow. 'General Hospital' Star Says Goodbye To Hollywood After 35 Years With Cross-country Move Speaking on the"Soapy"podcast, she confirmed she received backlash for her character's harsh words and said it was also difficult personally to say those kinds of things to Maitland. Read On The Fox News App "That was very, very difficult because Beth is one of my best friends for 42 years," she said. "And I knew, because we were so close, how she was really feeling about a lot of things." Like What You're Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News She recalled a story based on Maitland being "a little overweight and being conscious about that," saying, "Then I had to say the worst things to her, and Beth will tell you that I cried more than she did over it because I could barely get it out sometimes." There were "fun times" during filming too, but Bregman said, "I will tell you, it was a double-edged sword playing the mean girl because I would get death threats, and people tried to run me off the freeway." The podcast's hosts, fellow soap starsGreg Rikaartand Rebecca Budig, were shocked by that. "No, it was bad," Bregman said. "There were some bad parts that I never really talked about, actually." Bregman has played the role of Lauren in over 2,000 episodes, 1,847 on "The Young and the Restless" and 377 on "The Bold and the Beautiful." Before she took on the character, she got her start in soap operas by playing Donna Temple Craig in "Days of Our Lives" in over 150 episodes from 1978 to 1980. Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter While Lauren eventually became more likable, another soap opera villain wasn't as lucky. Last month,"General Hospital"actress Eva LaRue spoke about her departure from the show after just one season, admitting it was "hard" for her personally that her character was despised by fans after being a fan favorite during her time on "All My Children." "It was hard for me, actually — for me as a person," she toldSoap Opera Digest. "Because, in daytime, when you play a character like Maria Santos, love her or hate her, she was not ever meant to be a vilified character. And so it was hard from being that character, being a fan favorite, to being, like, literally hated. "The GH fans couldn't stand [her character]! So that was tough, because especially if you are accustomed to being rooted for, to be rooted against is not as comfortable." Original article source:Soap opera star claims 'people tried to run me off the freeway' over villainous TV role

byAlpha World

in

August 31, 2025

Soap opera star claims 'people tried to run me off the freeway' over villainous TV role

Soap opera star claims 'people tried to run me off the freeway' over villainous TV role Tracey Bregmanis soap opera royalty, but the...

Read More