The 62-year-old host replaced Johnny Carson on May 25, 1992 and was briefly replaced by Conan O'Brien between 2009 and 2010.
- May 27, 2012
AceShowbiz - Jay Leno celebrated the 20th Anniversary of him hosting "The Tonight Show". Leno did not forget to address his brief absence from the show to take on "The Jay Leno Show" and his return to "Tonight" in March 2010.
"Twenty years ago today, we did our very first show," Leno said, opening his Friday, May 25 show. "In that time we've seen a lot of stars come and go from the program - including me!" Leno then continued with his usual what-happen-this-week.
Before Leno, Johnny Carson led "Tonight Show" from 1962 to May 25, 1992. When NBC decided to create Leno a new primetime show, Conan O'Brien was brought in to replace him on "Tonight Show". However, the plan did not work and Leno snatched back his old post and Conan was forced to find a new job.
Although it has been more than two years since the exchange, O'Brien still holds the grudge against Leno. O'Brien told THR, "The odds are we will both leave this Earth without speaking to each other, which is fine. There's really nothing to say. We both know the deal. He knows; I know. I'd rather just forget."
