“Welcome toThe Tonight Show… I’mJimmy Fallonand I’ll be your host. For now.”
That was the beginning of Jimmy Fallon’s monologue during his first episode ofThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonon Feb. 17, 2014, exactly 10 years ago today.
TheSaturday Night Livealum, 49, was grateful then — “My life has never been this cool,” he told PEOPLE at the time. “Everything is so good right now that I feel beyond lucky.” — and he’s grateful now, celebrating the anniversary following Friday’s taping with a champagne toast with his staff in the studio.
Jimmy Fallon with The Roots' Tariq ‘Black Thought’ Trotter on ‘The Tonight Show’ on Jan. 9, 2024.Todd Owyoung/NBCUniversal
Todd Owyoung/NBCUniversal
1,926: Total shows, which featured more than 4,000 guests and 1,500 musical performances.
5: PreviousTonight Showhosts: Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno.
$1,400: How muchmoney Fallon seemingly madeduring the premiere when he took his seat behind theTonight Showdesk for the first time and joked, “To my buddy who said that I’d never be the host ofThe Tonight Show— and you know who you are — you owe me 100 bucks, buddy.” This led to a parade of stars handing him the money: Robert De Niro (Fallon’s first guest onLate Night), Tina Fey, Joe Namath, Rudy Giuliani, Mariah Carey, Tracy Morgan, Joan Rivers, Kim Kardashian, Seth Rogen, Lindsay Lohan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mike Tyson, Lady Gaga and Stephen Colbert (who dumped pennies on the host rather than give him cold hard cash).
16: The number of timesMichael Strahanhas been a guest, the most frequently booked guest on the show to date. Tyler Perry, Andy Cohen and Kevin Bacon follow at 15.
8: Times Fallon’s palJustin Timberlakehas been on the show, including his two musical performances.
10each: TimesBlake SheltonandMeghan Trainorhave been the musical act, the most of any artist.
13: Visits from comedianNate Bargatze, four times as a talk guest and nine as a stand-up performer.
120:Holiday sweaterscreated over the years and given away.
394 Million:Views on YouTube for the show’s most-viewed video, “Jimmy Fallon, The Roots &Star Wars: The Force AwakensCast SingStar WarsMedley (A Cappella).”
4 minutes:The duration of the Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon 3-D motion simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida.
11:Total Emmy nominations.
Jimmy Fallon makes a toast for the 10th anniversary of ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’.Todd Owyoung/NBCUniversal
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11:35 p.m. ET/PT:The time you can watchThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,weeknights on NBC.
source: people.com
