Late Show UK

It was Jay Leno’s final episode of The Tonight Show on Friday night. Conan O’Brien takes over from Monday night.

The guests on the final episode of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno were new host Conan O’Brien and musician James Taylor.

Jay’s new 10pm weeknight show called The Jay Leno Show begins later this year on NBC.

Click here to watch the Conan interview

In a recent interview on NBC’s Today Show, Jay Leno said he “would not want to see the next host go through what I went with… there was a lot of bitterness” with regard to Leno giving up The Tonight Show.

Talking about when he won The Tonight Show gig over David Letterman, Leno said his friendship with Letterman got damaged and “it really never got repaired… it got kind of ugly and awkward, and I would not to see anybody go through that again”.

Leno described Conan O’Brien - who takes over The Tonight Show on Monday night - as “a fantastic guy… a real gentleman”.

Orlando Sentinel - “Jay Leno says conflict with David Letterman ‘never got repaired’”

Click here to watch Jay Leno on NBC’s Today Show

Just two shows remaining. On Thursday’s show Jay spoke to Billy Crystal and there was music from Prince.

Click here highlights from the Billy Crystal interview

On the Wednesday show Jay welcomed Wanda Sykes.

Click here for video clips from the show

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dwight Yoakam were guests on Tuesday.

Click here for video clips from the show

It’s the final week of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

Leno’s still making news, as on Monday’s show Mel Gibson announced he is about to become a father again with his eighth child due soon. Mel says this makes him “Octo-Mel”.

Click here to watch Mel Gibson on The Tonight Show

It’s the last week of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno this week, then Conan O’Brien takes over the reigns.

Guests on Leno’s final week are Mel Gibson & Lyle Lovett (tonight), Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger & Dwight Yoakam (Tuesday), Wanda Sykes & Sarah McLachlan (Wednesday), Billy Crystal & Prince (Thursday) and Conan O’Brien & James Taylor (on the final show on Friday).

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno is broadcast on CNBC one show after its US broadcast - so Monday’s US show will air on Tuesday night at 11pm on CNBC, etc. Friday’s finale will air on CNBC on Monday 1st June at 11pm.

Conan’s Tonight Show starts on Monday 1st June on NBC, and CNBC will be airing the new show in the same slot as Leno had (11pm on a one show delay from the US).

The final week of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno will be packed with his favourite guests. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Billy Crystal and Prince will all appear.

The final show on Friday 29th May will have - new host of The Tonight Show - Conan O’Brien who takes over the show the following Monday (1st June) and - one of Jay Leno’s favourite musicians - James Taylor.

Also, Jay’s hinted at some surprises for the last show - he says “I have something really unusual and different planned, something really out of left field that we’re going to end on”. It won’t be the last we’ll see of Jay though - his new 10pm NBC show starts later this year.

John Melendez’s future with Jay Leno when the new 10pm show starts is unclear. The announcer for The Tonight Show With Jay Leno isn’t sure whether he’ll be going to Leno’s new 10pm gig when it launches later this year. John says “after May 29 I get on my knees and pray and hope Jay brings me to the new show… I’m anticipating I’m going with Jay, but there’s no guarantees. A lot of people haven’t been told yet. We’re all just waiting and hoping”.

When asked about the role he plays on The Tonight Show when compared to his old Howard Stern job - “I’ve written a few jokes. A lot of things I’ve written have gotten on the show. I’m not saying my percentages are as great as some of the writers he’s had in the past 17 years, but I’ve gotten a good amount of stuff on. I’m also the warm-up guy for every show. I go out 15 minutes before showtime and get the crowd going, do some jokes, play the guitar, do a couple of comedy songs. I’m hoping at end of day that it helps me get a job with the new show”.

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno finishes at the end of this month, and Conan takes over from June. Jay’s new 10pm NBC show is expected to start later this year.

Las Vegas Sun - “Announcer’s future with Leno unclear”

Jay Leno has been talking to People regarding his recent hospitalization which forced him to miss two tapings of The Tonight Show.

He says “I do three columns. I write for the London Sunday Times, I write for Popular Mechanics every month and I write for a British magazine called Octane. I do all automotive stuff. And then I’m on the road 160 days. I think it’s one of those deals where you just kinda just got worn out… That’s like a rich person’s condition. Poor people that work – they don’t get exhausted. Only rich people get exhausted. It’s an embarrassing thing”.

Leno hands over The Tonight Show to Conan O’Brien at the end of this month, and starts his new 10pm NBC show later this year.

People - “Jay Leno Reveals Mystery Ailment: Exhaustion”
E! Online - “Jay Leno Sick? Nah, Just “Worn Out”"

Jimmy Fallon was a guest on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on Wednesday night. The host of Late Night stopped by for a chat with Leno to talk about how he’s settling in to his new show, and to also provide some comedic music in the form of a “spitting” song.

Click here to watch the interview in full and to watch the music performance

Following his discharge from hospital, Jay Leno returned to hosting duties at The Tonight Show last night.

Jokingly, when talking about his time in hospital, he said “I had a horrible dream that I couldn’t breathe… I felt like I was suffocating… then I woke up and realised Conan was holding a pillow over my face”.

Jay said he suffered from a “fever”.

Conan O’Brien takes over The Tonight Show at the start of June.

BBC News - “Leno returns to show after fever”
BBC News - “Jay Leno released from hospital”

Click here to watch some video clips from last night’s show

Jay Leno missed two shows last week due to having to pay a visit to hospital. It’s not clear what Jay was admitted to hospital for, as NBC have been keeping that confidential, but it’s not thought to be anything serious.

Leno had to miss shows on Thursday and Friday last week - they were replaced with reruns.

This stint in hospital was the first time in the history of Jay hosting The Tonight Show that he’s had to miss any tapings. A spokesperson for Jay Leno said the sickness wasn’t “symptomatic of anything serious”. He’s now been released from hospital and is expected to return to The Tonight Show straight away.

Leno has around a month’s worth of shows to host before he hands over the reigns of The Tonight Show to former Late Night host Conan O’Brien. Jay moves to a new weeknight 10pm NBC show later this year.

Jimmy Fallon will be interviewed on the Wednesday 29th April edition of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. The host of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon will stop by for a chat with Jay about how he’s settling in to his new job, which he started in March.

Click here for full guest listings for The Tonight Show

Barack Obama’s appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno last night has been much talked about today. Mr Obama made TV history - making it the first time that a serving US President has appeared as a guest on a late-night talk show.

The US President’s interview on the programme attracted a huge ratings boost for The Tonight Show - according to the ArtsBeat blog on The New York Times website, The Tonight Show “matched its highest rating in the last 11 years… based on the measure available Friday, from the country’s 56 largest cities, Mr. Obama’s visit with Jay Leno produced an 11.2 rating”. The interview on the show lasted much longer than most guest interviews - almost 30 minutes.

President Obama discussed the important subject of the economic downturn including what he thinks about the executives at the huge financial company AIG taking bonuses at these tough times. Obama said “who in their right mind, when your company is going bust, decides we’re going to be paying a whole bunch of bonuses to people?”.

The President also talked about the publicised Whitehouse dog, which he announced he was going to get for his family after he won the election last year - “they say if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog”.

Speaking about Washington, he said “it’s a little bit like American Idol, except everybody is Simon Cowell”, and when asked about the difficult economic times he stated “I welcome the challenge”.

BBC News - “Obama banters on Jay Leno’s show”
The New York Times - ArtsBeat blog - “Yes He Can (Boost Jay Leno’s Ratings)”
Bloomberg - “Obama Tells Leno He Was ‘Stunned’ by AIG Bonuses”

Click here to watch the interview in full