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Jay Leno Showed Kelly Clarkson His 'Brand New Face' After a Scary Burn Accident
"I'm the new face of comedy," Leno joked. Check your local listings for The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Jay Leno knows how to bounce back and focus on the positive. The former Tonight Show Host recently talked to Kelly Clarkson on her talk show about a face burn injury he received—and he used his signature sense of humor to not let things bring him down.
“You look great, though!” Clarkson said as Leno sat down.
“This is a brand new face,” Leno responded cheekily.
“Great job. Great job,” Clarkson said.
Leno was referring to a 2022 accident where suffered burns on his face while working with a car. “It is. It's unbelievable. What happened was I was working on a car, I got a face full of gasoline. And it caught fire,” he explained.
“I had been eating a flaming hot Dorito; when I bit into it, it set my face on fire,” he joked.
“Oh my gosh. What a commercial,” Clarkson said.
“All third degree burns. It was pretty bad,” Leno commented.
“You can’t tell at all!” Clarkson commented.
“No, you think there’d be a zipper here or something but no,” Leno said, gesturing to his face.
“No, that’s what I’m saying! That’s crazy!” Clarkson said.
“This is like a brand new face. Only for the second time in my career am I the new face of comedy. I got it once in the '80s, now I get it again,” Leno said while Clarkson let out a laugh.
“That’s a brand new ear!” Leno then said, pointing to his ear.
In December 2022, Leno publicly spoke about the incident for the first time while on TODAY, still maintaining a lighthearted tone.
“I’m afraid I had to get on fire to be on the TODAY show! Thank you,” he joked.
“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 explained. “And suddenly, boom, I got a face full of gas.
"And then the pilot light jumped and my face caught on fire,” he continued. “Dave, my friend, pulled me out and jumped on top of me and kind of smothered the fire,” he added.
Leno eventually went to a burn unit, where doctors treated his condition. “My attitude is, I trust people who are the best to do what they do,” Leno praised the professionals who helped him recover.
To see more celebrities telling their stories, check your local listings for The Kelly Clarkson Show.
