Jay Leno: I'm 'Not Really Sad' About Leaving 'Tonight Show' In February

Courtesy of NBC

The clock may be ticking, but Jay’s not shedding any tears. Find out why the late night legend is ready to say goodbye.

Jay Leno is done with late night television. No, really, we’re serious this time. During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the legendary chinterviewer confirmed he has no plans to hop back into the hosting chair, following his Feb. 6 exit from NBC’s The Tonight Show.

“Last time, I was told, ‘You’re leaving’; this time, honestly, I was asked,” Jay explained to THR. ”When I signed [my last contract], I said, ‘This about the last go-round? OK.’ I was going to leave in September and then they said, ‘We have the Olympics and we’d like to launch Jimmy early. What if you left six months early? Would you do that?’ And we said, ‘Does the staff get paid? OK, fine.’”

Jay also admitted he’s “not really sad” because he’s had “a really good run” and it’s important for him to be “realistic.”

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As for Jimmy Fallon, who will be taking over The Tonight Show, Jay says he bears no resentment. In fact, he recognizes Jimmy’s incredible talents, and is excited to see what he can do!

“When I watched Jimmy do a number with Justin Timberlake, I thought, ‘Well, I can’t do that,’” Jay admitted. “There’s clearly a huge generation gap between me and Jimmy. I mean, it’s 23 years. I guess that’s two generations almost. It makes sense.”

HollywoodLifers, will you miss Jay on The Tonight Show? Do you think Jimmy is a suitable replacement? Drop a comment with your thoughts on the huge late-night swap below!

— Andy Swift
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