Jay Leno reveals details about accident that burnt his face

Jay Leno has given his first interview since his shocking accident on November 12, 2022, which left the comedian with severe burns on his face.

Leno spoke about the incident with Hoda Kotb from 'Today' and explained that the accident occurred while he was underneath an antique car from 1907, working on the vehicle.

The 72-year-old was working on the vehicle with his friend David Killackey which had a clogged fuel line. Jay told Kotb, "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."

Leno continued, "And suddenly, boom, I got a face full of gas. And then the pilot light jumped, and my face caught on fire." Leno explained that he immediately told his friend, "Dave, I'm on fire," and perhaps Killackey thought Leno meant it figuratively as he simply responded, "All right."

So Leno clarified, "I said, 'No, Dave, I'm on fire.' And then, 'Oh, my God,'" Luckily, Leno's buddy acted quickly, "Dave, my friend, pulled me out and jumped on top of me and kind of smothered the fire."

Leno was then rushed to a local hospital, and later, he was transferred to the Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles. Jay suffered significant burns to his face and hands, which were a mixture of second and a few third-degree burns.

Fans of the Former 'Tonight Show' host were alarmed when they found out the comedian had suffered a serious accident after he missed a performance at a financial conference in Las Vegas on November 13, 2022.

According to PEOPLE, attendees of the financial conference received the following cryptic email regarding Jay Leno's absence: "His family was not able to provide us very many details, but there was a very serious medical emergency that is preventing Jay from traveling."

The email also stated. "All we know is that he is alive, so our prayers go out to him and his family tonight.

TMZ was among the first to report what happened to Leno. According to the media outlet, the talk show host was in his garage in Burbank on November 12 when one of his vehicles suddenly burst into flames. As a result, the left side of Jay Leno's face suffered burns.

On November 14, Leno told TMZ: "I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire. I am ok. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet."

According to TMZ's sources, Jay was fortunate that the flames "did not penetrate his eye or his ear."

The BBC reported that a spokesperson from the burn center said in a statement that Leno "wants everyone to know that he is in stable condition and receiving treatment."

Luckily, Leno recovered very quickly and just two weeks after the accident. He performed at the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, California, where he is a regular performer.

Per NBC, Jay was in good spirits following his return to the stage and joked with the media saying, "We got two shows tonight. Regular and extra crispy."

Jay Leno left 'The Tonight Show' in 2014 after 22 seasons. The TV personality is a massive fan of cars.

According to US News & World Report magazine, Leno has an impressive collection of 180 vehicles.

After leaving 'The Tonight Show,' the presenter started his own television show dedicated to his passion called 'Jay Leno's Garage.'

The show consists of Jay driving around in rare and vintage cars while discussing the vehicles with celebrity guests.

Among those to appear on Leno's new show is President Biden, who raced a 1967 Stingray Corvette.

Photo: CNBC

Surely most are thinking just what Leno's agent told the Daily Beast: "Thank goodness, Jay is OK."