Jay Leno in ‘good spirits’ after injury but faces more surgery for ‘significant’ burns
The 60-year-old comedian is currently recovering from burns on his neck, shoulder and upper arm as a result of a brush with a hot stove.
He told “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Thursday that he’s already feeling better but that there’s more to come.
“I feel much better. It’s been a week, and I’m doing the best I can,” Leno said. “The thing is, with your ears and your nose, they kind of burn before they burn. And then with this injury – I mean, I have no idea if it’s temporary or permanent – I’m gonna have to do some more reconstructive surgery, which is, you know, just a big, giant procedure.”
He added: “We were all like, ‘What are you talking about? What kind of a big, giant reconstructive surgery?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, it’s gonna be huge. We’re not gonna talk about it right now, but I’ll let you know. You’re gonna love me after the surgery.'”
The injury occurred while Leno was visiting his son in New York. His son told him he had accidentally left his stove on, and was cooking dinner when the burner went out. He used a towel to create an air pocket, and put the towel over the burner to hold the heat in, which got burned on the skin. He then put his hands in the hot stove for at least 10 minutes before coming back to the studio to “clean all of the burners.” He then scrubbed his neck and shoulder with soap and water.
The result is “considerable,” he says, noting that he wasn’t expecting “a lot of pain” because he was expecting to get some “burns,” because he knew he had been burned.
Leno is already thinking about his new reality show, which he’ll host following his recovery.
“I have to do this show,” he said. “I have to do it. I have to do it. I have to do it. If I don’t, I’ll do it, and I’ll get shot. So, no, I