United Kingdom, Sept. 13 -- Bowen Yang says Lorne Michaels encouraged him not to quit Saturday Night Live.

The 34-year-old comedian has decided to stay on the show through season 51, despite notable departures including Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow, Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim and Bowen credits SNL boss Michaels for his decision.

He told PEOPLE: "I've always gone by the instinct of, do I have more to do? And I feel like I do. Even Lorne [Michaels] and I talked about it, and Lorne was like, 'You have more to do,' and that means a lot, because I even confessed to him. I was like, 'I feel the audience is maybe getting sick of me.' And he was like, 'That's not true. There's more for you to do. I need you.'

"That man has ch...