Conan O'Brien returns to "The Tonight Show" after 14 years

Comedian describes his return to the show as strange, saying "all these memories came flooding back."

Conan O'Brien made a triumphant return to The Tonight Show as a guest, marking his first appearance since his unceremonious departure in 2010.

The 60-year-old comedian joined host Jimmy Fallon on April 9th to promote his new Max series, Conan O'Brien Must Go.

O'Brien and Fallon reminisced about the former's short-lived tenure as Tonight Show host. O'Brien joked about his height causing some awkward moments with guests. Fallon admitted that O'Brien's larger-than-life personality had initially intimidated him.

Fallon shared a photo of O'Brien and himself from 1999, when Fallon appeared on Late Night. O'Brien recalled how Fallon's parents had asked about their son's performance. "I just said, 'That kid's going all the way!' Your parents were like, 'Conan says he's going all the way,'" O'Brien joked. "And then I realised... I say that to everybody."

O'Brien described his return to the show as strange, saying "all these memories came flooding back" as he walked the familiar halls.

The comedian also discussed his popular podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. He explained that while he still considers late-night TV "the best job in the world," podcasting allows for deeper, more extended conversations with his guests.

O'Brien shared anecdotes from interviews with figures like Barack Obama, Paul McCartney, Prince, and Carol Burnett.

O'Brien's return to The Tonight Show was first revealed on April 4th, alongside that night's other guests, Nicole Richie and Benson Boone.

His departure from NBC in 2010 came after Jay Leno's decision to return to the show.

Jimmy Fallon has been hosting since 2014. O'Brien had refused a network offer to shift the show to a later time slot, stating, "My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of the Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction."

He moved to TBS in 2010, where his show Conan ran for 11 seasons. Conan O'Brien Must Go, his new travel series, premieres on Max on April 14th.

In a 2022 interview, Jay Leno denied deliberately sabotaging O'Brien's run on The Tonight Show, stating "That doesn't work...You try and do the best you can and it didn't work."

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon airs on NBC weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET.