Conan O’Brien Returns to ‘Tonight Show’ For First Time Since Getting Fired 14 Years Ago
Conan O’Brien returned to The Tonight Show on Tuesday, April 9, for the first time since being fired as host back in 2010, and he couldn’t help but feel “weird” about it all.
The legendary comedian joined Jimmy Fallon to promote his upcoming Max series, Conan O’Brien Must Go, and the pair reminisced about O’Brien’s late-night career. O’Brien hosted Late Night on NBC from 1993 to 2009 and two seasons of The Tonight Show between 2009 and 2010.
“It’s weird to come back,” O’Brien said. “I haven’t been in this building for such a long time, and I haven’t been on this floor in forever. I was here for 16 years doing the Late Night show before we went out to L.A., and right across the hall… all these memories came flooding back to me.”
“The first thing that will hit you — and it will hit you, too, because one day you’ll have this show as long as you want it,” he told Fallon. “But when you’re 98, you’ll move on, and someone else will be in this studio. When someone else is in your studio, it feels weird.”
O’Brien then revealed that Kelly Clarkson, who hosts her own self-titled daytime talk show, is in his old studio.
“I love Kelly Clarkson. Who doesn’t love Kelly Clarkson? But still. I felt like, ‘It’s not right! Blasphemy! They should’ve burned it to the ground,'” he joked.
He also recalled interviewing a young Fallon when he appeared as a guest on Late Night back in 1999. O’Brien said he remembered Fallon’s parents approaching him after the show to ask how their son did.
“I just said, ‘That kid’s going all the way!’ Your parents were like, ‘Conan says he’s going all the way,'” O’Brien shared. “And then I realized… I say that to everybody.”
O’Brien’s hosting stint on The Tonight Show was short-lived and surrounded by drama. After taking over the slot from Jay Leno, O’Brien only lasted two seasons before being unceremoniously booted and replaced by Leno, who returned after a seven-month absence.
The comedian is now embarking on his next project, Conan O’Brien Must Go, a travelogue series that is set to debut on Max on April 18. The series is a spin-off of his podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, and a successor to the Conan Without Borders travel specials that aired as part of his TBS show Conan.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Weeknights, 11:35/10:35c, NBC
