Michael Che Was '100%' Planning to Leave SNL Before Returning for Season 48

Michael Che meant it when he said he was leaving Saturday Night Live after this past season, he told Howard Stern in an interview on Wednesday.

"I 100% told them I was leaving," said Che. "At the beginning of the season, I was like, 'I'm done. I can't do it. I'm finished. I'm finished. I'm finished.' And no one kind of believed it."

In March, Che even said on stage that he would be leaving the NBC comedy, but he later walked back the comment so it wouldn't take away from the focus of the show or the other cast members, he told Stern.

Che also told Stern that the reason he wanted to leave was to "have time to do other things," but after a conversation with SNL boss Lorne Michaels, the two came to an agreement. "I talked to Lorne, and we figured out something where I will have more time, and so it made it kind of worth staying," said Che.

Saturday Night Live returns for its 48th season this fall on NBC.

Deena ElGenaidi's writing has been featured in Nylon, MTV News, Insider, The AV Club, and more. You can follow her on Twitter @deenaelg.