Jay Leno shows off 'brand new face' on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' following burn accident
It's not often that a comedian gets to be the new face of comedy twice. But after recovering from gasoline burns, Jay Leno is joking that he's having his second coming.
"Only for the second time in my career, am I the new face of comedy," he quipped, showing off his "brand new face" on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" Wednesday.
In November, Leno was subject to significant burns on his hands, face and chest when flames erupted as he worked on one of his vintage cars. He underwent two procedures including a surgical excision and grafting.
While the 72-year-old, who recently had a separate motorcycle accident, made jokes about his recovery, he did note the seriousness of his injuries — which included third degree burns. Host Kelly Clarkson commented that it was hard to even tell that he's had surgery.
The work took about eight days, the former "Tonight Show" host shared on the show accompanied by Grossman Burn Center's Dr. Peter Grossman.
"Brand new face!" So happy to have @JayLeno with us in person and in one piece! Tune in today to meet the care team who nursed him back to health pic.twitter.com/VAOvPc6dSG
— The Kelly Clarkson Show (@KellyClarksonTV) March 1, 2023
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In December, Leno did a TV interview for the first time since the accident, appearing on the "Today" show and giving more details about the incident.
"It was a 1907 White Steam Car," Leno recalled. "The fuel line was clogged so I was underneath it. It sounded clogged and I said, 'Blow some air through the line,' and so he did."
He continued, "And suddenly, boom, I got a face full of gas. And then the pilot light jumped and my face caught on fire."
Leno's injuries were treated with two surgeries at the Grossman Burn Center during a 10-day stay. To quicken his recovery from skin grafting procedures, he underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy to minimize the progression of his burns.
Contributing: Naledi Ushe
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jay Leno shows off 'new face' after burns on 'Kelly Clarkson' show
