Presenter and comedian Jay Leno has recalled how his "face caught on fire" during a recent accident at a car garage that left him with severe burns.
Tune in to the Today Show tomorrow for the full interview. pic.twitter.com/bzfiWC1t6r
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 13, 2022
The former host of The Tonight Show, 72, said he received "a faceful of gas" while working underneath a car in Burbank, California last month.
He suffered "deep second-degree" and possibly third-degree burns during the incident but was released from hospital shortly before Thanksgiving, 24 November.
In his first interview since the incident, Leno told US news show Today that he had been saved by a friend who had jumped on top of him to smother the flames.
"It was a 1907... a white steam car. The fuel line was clogged, and I was underneath it, trying to unclog (it)," he said in a short clip of the interview. that was released online.
"I said, 'Blow some air through the line', and then suddenly, boom, I got a faceful of gas. Then the pilot light jumped, and my face caught on fire.
"And I said to my friend, 'Dave, I'm on fire', and... oh my God, my friend Dave pulled me out and jumped on top of me and it kind of smothered the fire."
Leno is known for his love of cars, turning it into a CNBC series, Jay Leno's Garage.
Upon his release from hospital, Leno posed for a picture with several staff members, which showed visible burn scars on his face, neck and hand. He thanked them for the care he had received.
Jay Leno says goodbye to staff at the Grossman Burn Center after wrapping up a 10-day stay treating his injuries from a car fire earlier this month.
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 21, 2022
📷 Grossman Burn Centerhttps://t.co/x7y2VZKglR pic.twitter.com/bT6mRDczmt
Leno took over NBC's Tonight Show when long-time host Johnny Carson retired in 1992. He returned for another stint from 2010 to 2014 before handing over the reins to current host Jimmy Fallon.
Source: Press Association
