Former SNL writer criticizes show due to its stressful work environment

Clare O'Kane may not be a household name, but the comedy writer spent almost a year working on Saturday Night Live. She recounted her experience during a recent appearance the WTF podcast with Marc Maron, and made it very clear that she left on her own accord.

The reason? O'Kane made it clear that the working environment on Saturday Night Live was too much for her to handle. She knew that the show was going to be difficult, but started out with an outlook of optimism. An outlook that quickly faded.

Clare O'Kane likened SNL to middle school

"Almost immediately—and this wasn't forever—but almost immediately," O'Kane told the podcast host. "I was physically and mentally, like back in middle school." The comedy writer went on to detail the ways in which SNL's demanding schedule affected her health and her day-to-day life:

"My palms started sweating for the first time in my life. My period stopped because I was so anxious."

It gets worse. O'Kane recalls sitting in her Saturday Night Live office and trying to come up with sketch ideas while cast members and other employees were messing around. "All I can hear are people, like, laughing with each other and running up and down the hall," she added. "And I immediately start crying."

Kane has gone on to write for Spongebob Squarepants

Clare O'Kane revealed that she was hired as a writer mid-season, and then wound up quitting the following mid-season. She decided that she didn't want to contend with the level of stress and discomfort that SNL brought about, and pursued other career opportunities.

O'Kane had done just fine for herself, scoring writing gigs on Spongebob Squarepants and Shrill, but she admits that she would have liked to have stayed longer on SNL. Not because she enjoyed herself (obviously), but because she would have liked to have more filmmaking experience.

"I honestly wish I'd stayed longer," she told Marc Maron. "Because what I really want to do eventually is direct my own stuff." O'Kane isn't the only ex-SNL employee to detail the show's stressful schedule. Andy Samberg recently admitted that the lack of sleep he was getting led to him leaving the show despite his popularity.