I made a mistake, should pay the price: TV host Jay Leno on not editing Jimmy Kimmel jokes during The Tonight Show interview

Mint

08-05-2025

Washington [US], May 8 (ANI): Television presenter Jay Leno recalled his now-resolved feud with popular television host Jimmy Kimmel, which began when Kimmel guested on 'The Tonight Show' after Leno was reinstated as host following Conan O'Brien's shocking exit in 2010.
The feud between the two popular television hosts started after Kimmel repeatedly fired off jokes at Leno for his return as a host of 'The Tonight Show' in 2010, according to Variety. The TV host recently appeared on the Emmy-winning show 'In Depth With Graham Bensinger'
After years, Leo admitted that he should have edited the parts where Kimmel made jokes about him, calling it a huge "mistake" for which he paid the "the price", as quoted by Variety.
"When Kimmel came on my show and humiliated me on my own show, I let it happen. I didn't edit it," Leno said. "It was my mistake, I trusted somebody. I went, 'Ah, I made a mistake. Ok, I should pay the price.' And it's fine, it's fine. I mean, we could have edited it out of the show," said Jay Leno as quoted by Variety.
As per the outlet, the TV host Kimmel passed a few jokes at Leno's expense during the 2010 interview. Leno stepped down from hosting "The Tonight Show" a year prior after a 17-year stint from 1992 to 2009, with O'Brien replacing him as host.
After the exit, Leno launched his own NBC primetime show (The Jay Leno Show), but ratings suffered for both programs.
NBC proposed bringing Leno back to "The Tonight Show," which prompted O'Brien's exit and Leno's return. Both Leno and the network received widespread backlash from the industry, including from Kimmel, as per Variety.
When Leno asked Kimmel in 2010 to talk about his best prank, Kimmel answered: "I told a guy that five years from now I'm going to give you my show, and then when the five years came, I gave it to him, and then I took it back almost instantly," as quoted by Variety.
Speaking now to Graham Besinger, Leno said he didn't stop Kimmel from making anti-Leno jokes that night "because it happened," referring to the infamous "Tonight Show" host switch.
"It's real -- it happened. It's my mistake. That's how you learn," Leno added. "It's not good TV for me because it started a whole thing that continues to this day, really. But it's okay, it's alright. He's a comic -- you do what you gotta do. I mean, I wouldn't have done it, but that's okay. That's alright. It is what it is," added Jay Leno during an interview with American journalist Graham Besinger, as quoted by Variety.
As per the outlet, Leno and Kimmel have since settled their feud, starting with Leno's decision to call Kimmel after the latter's son had heart surgery in 2017.
Kimmel has said he "made peace" with Leno due to the kind gesture. (ANI)