After receiving third-degree burns on his face, Jay Leno makes his return to television with The Kelly Clarkson Show to show his fresh new face. Here’s what the comedian had to say about his garage accident.
A Surprise Comeback
Jay Leno was seen on The Kelly Clarkson Show yesterday, just months after suffering burns on his face, chest, and hands, and judging by his appearance, we can hardly believe that the comedian went through such a gruesome tragedy.
A Brand New Face
After receiving compliments from the show’s host, Leno replied, “This is a brand-new face. It’s unbelievable!”
A Disastrous Combo
Recalling the fiery incident, Leno explained, “I was working on a car, and I got a face full of gasoline, and it caught fire.”
Flamin’ Hot Situation
He further joked about the situation, saying, “I had been eating a Flamin’ Hot Dorito … when I bit into it, it set my face on fire.”
Serious Injuries
The usually lovely comedian switched to a somber tone when telling Kelly about the intensity of the burns stating that they were “pretty bad.”
A Jawline Zipper
Getting back at his jokes, the comedian pointed at this jawline and said, “You’d think there’d be a zipper here or something, but no. This is like a brand-new face.”
New Face Of Comedy
Hinting at the first time he made it big in the field of comedy, Leno exclaimed, “Only for the second time in my career am I the new face of comedy. I got it once in the ’80s, and now I get it again.”
Several Different Masks
Apart from this, Leni has had several other faces during his career, such as lending his voice to Jay Limo for Cars or Billy Beagle for Mickey and the Roadster Racers.
A Complementary Ear
Gushing about his recovered face, he gestured to his ear and said, “That’s a brand-new ear!” making the host chuckle.
A Transparent Reveal
Leno had previously shared details about his injuries and journey to recovery on The Today Show in December 2022.
Car Revival Mission
He revealed that he was working with his friend Dave Killackey on his precious 1907 White Steam Car when his face got covered in gas due to a clogged fuel line.
A Closer Look At The Incident
Leno explained the scene of the disaster to Today and said, “The fuel line was clogged, so I was underneath it. It sounded clogged, and I said, ‘Blow some air through the line,’ and so [Killackey] did … And suddenly, boom, I got a face full of gas. And then the pilot light jumped, and my face caught on fire.”
10 Days For Recovery
Leno was taken to the Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles, where he spent 10 days in the recovery process.
Cosmetic Interference
The gasoline ordeal had resulted in third-degree burns on his face, for which the comedian received skin grafts and reconstructive cosmetic surgery.
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A Motorcycle Clash
After going ablaze and explaining to The Las Vegas Journal his road to recovery, he revealed having undergone a motorcycle accident in January.
A Broken Everything
Like receiving burns wasn’t enough, this time, the comedian broke several of his bones. He explained, “So I’ve got a broken collarbone. I’ve got two broken ribs. I’ve got two cracked kneecaps.”
A Call From The President
Getting back to the topic of the garage blowout incident, Leni revealed to have received a call from President Joe Biden in the hospital.
A Quick Check Up
He shared the contents of the call and said, I was in the hospital, [the] phone rings, “Jay? Jay?! It’s Joe!”’ And I say, “Joe?” And he goes, “Yeah, Joe Biden. I’m in China. I just wanted to see how you are.”
A Gracious Surprise
At the end of the show, Kelly and Leno gifted a three-night surprise vacation to the Bahamas to three nurses who helped the comedian recover while he was in the hospital.