“The Tonight Show” is returning to New York with Jimmy Fallon as host.
Fallon will take over hosting duties from Jay Leno in the spring of 2014, NBC confirmed on Wednesday. Leno has hosted the show for 22 years in Burbank, Calif.
“I’m really excited to host a show that starts today instead of tomorrow,” Fallon said in a statement.
Leno joked in the statement: “Congratulations Jimmy. I hope you're as lucky as me and hold on to the job until you're the old guy. If you need me, I'll be at the garage.”
Steve Burke, chief executive officer of NBCUniversal, called Leno an "entertainment icon."
“His long reign as the highest-rated late-night host is a testament to his work ethic and dedication to his viewers and to NBC," Burke said in the statement.
Leno and Fallon teamed up earlier this week to address news reports of the transition with a humorous parody of the "West Side Story" song "Tonight."
"The Tonight Show" has been based in Burbank since Johnny Carson moved it west in 1972.
The show will return to its original home in New York, where it was first conceived in 1954. The show will be taped at 30 Rock and executive-produced by Emmy-winning “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels.
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