Jimmy Fallon isn’t going anywhere. Exactly one month after NBC announced that Seth Meyers had signed on to continue hosting Late Night through 2028, the network has confirmed that Fallon will remain in place as the host of The Tonight Show through the next four years as well.
“For nearly 30 years, Jimmy Fallon has brought laughter into the homes of millions and charmed audiences from the stages of 30 Rock,” NBCUniversal Media Group chairman Mark Lazarus said in a statement announcing the host’s contract extension. “It’s been a privilege to witness Jimmy at the helm of The Tonight Show and we’re thrilled to see what innovations he and the incredible staff will deliver in the years to come at the network.”
By the time his latest contract expires, Fallon will have been hosting The Tonight Show for 14 years. He currently holds the third longest tenure as host of the late-night talk show, which debuted 70 years ago—in 1954—with series creator Steve Allen as host.
Allen only stuck around for three years, while successor Jack Paar logged just five years behind The Tonight Show desk. Then came Johnny Carson, who headlined the show for a whopping 30 years. Jay Leno came next and stuck around for a total of 21 years—with a notorious one-year break in-between tenures from when he decided to retire and hand the reins to Conan O’Brien, then take them back. O’Brien has the shortest Tonight Show tenure at less than eight months.
Fallon began working at NBC in 1998 as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, where he remained through 2004 (anchoring “Weekend Update” in his final three years). In 2009 he took over as host of Late Night from O’Brien, and remained in that chair for five years—until The Tonight Show came calling.
“For nearly 30 years, I’ve brought laughter into the homes of millions and charmed audiences from the stages of 30 Rock,” Fallon said in a statement. “It’s been a privilege to be at the helm of The Tonight Show and I’m thrilled to see what innovations me and the incredible staff will deliver in the years to come at the network. No, I’m not changing my quote. Tell Mark to change his.”
How does NBC keep him and seth? Time to clean house