Conan O'Brien Returns to “Tonight Show” for First Time Since Firing

"It's weird to come back," the comedian, who hosted the late-night talk show for two seasons from 2009 to 2010, told Jimmy Fallon

Conan O’Brien has made his return to The Tonight Show!

On the Tuesday, April 9 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the 60-year-old comedian arrived as a guest to promote his upcoming Max series, Conan O’Brien Must Go. His appearance marked his first time on the program since he was fired in 2010 after a two-season stint as host.

During the first part of his interview with Fallon, O'Brien reminisced about his brief time as the Tonight Show's host and joked about how his incredible height made for awkward moments with shorter guests. Fallon said he was intimidated when he first met O'Brien because of he's "larger than life."

Fallon also showed a picture from 1999, when he appeared on Late Night with O'Brien. Then, O'Brien recalled Fallon's parents asking him how their son did on his show.

"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 realized... I say that to everybody."

"It's weird to come back," O'Brien later said of returning to the show, adding that "all these memories came flooding back" as he walked the halls.

O'Brien later talked about his popular podcast, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, which launched in 2018. Although the comedian considered hosting a late night show "the best job in the world," O'Brien said he enjoyed podcasting because it gives him the opportunity to do in-depth interviews that last more than seven minutes with a guest.

The comedian shared stories about interviewing former President Barack Obama, Paul McCartney, Prince and Carol Burnett.

Related: Conan O'Brien's Late-Night Farewell: Celebrities Pay Tribute to the 'All-Time Great'

The Tonight Show revealed the episode’s lineup on April 4, consisting of O’Brien, Nicole Richie and musical guest Benson Boone.

O’Brien hosted the NBC show from 2009 to 2010 but was unceremoniously laid off when predecessor Jay Leno decided to return. Jimmy Fallon later succeeded Leno, 73, in 2014 and has remained in the role ever since.

During his brief time as The Tonight Show host, the network proposed a half-hour bump to 12:05 a.m., which O’Brien said it would be “an enormous personal disappointment.”

“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 wrote in a statement. “Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.”

Related: Harrison Ford Roasts Conan O’Brien on His Own Podcast: ‘How Come You're Not Still on Television?'

After his firing, O’Brien quickly launched his self-titled talk show, Conan, which ran on TBS for 11 seasons, from 2010 to 2021.

O'Brien's new project, Conan O'Brien Must Go, is a streaming travel series scheduled to premiere on Max on April 14. The series is inspired by the travel specials he filmed for Conan.

On Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast in 2022, Leno, 73, denied the notion he “deliberately sabotaged” O’Brien’s Tonight Show gig.

"That doesn't work," he said. "It doesn't work that way. You try and do the best you can and it didn't work."

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

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