“Congratulations Jimmy,” – Jay Leno
After 22 historic years as the host of The Tonight Show, Jay Leno will take his final bow in Spring 2014, closing out his current contract. Following in his footsteps, Jimmy Fallon, currently hosting Late Night, will make the transition as the new face of The Tonight Show next year which will return to its original studio at 30 Rock in NYC.
Steve Burke, Chief Executive Officer of NBCUniversal released the following statement:
“Jay Leno is an entertainment icon, making millions of people laugh every weeknight for more than 20 years. His long reign as the highest-rated late-night host is a testament to his work ethic and dedication to his viewers and to NBC. We are purposefully making this change when Jay is #1, just as Jay replaced Johnny Carson when he was #1. Jimmy Fallon is a unique talent and this is his time. I’m thrilled he will become the sixth host of ‘The Tonight Show’ at exactly the right moment, in conjunction with our coverage of next year’s Winter Olympic Games from Sochi, Russia.”
As of now, there has been no announcement as to who will replace Fallon but an announcement is expected in the near future.
Ben Lester (bjams11)</p
