Leno: I'll talk to Conan when it cools down
Jay Leno: I'll talk to Conan O'Brien when it cools down
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Thursday, 28, Jan 2010 10:46
By Lewis Bazley.
US talkshow host Jay Leno has confirmed he has not yet spoken to Conan O'Brien about the scheduling conflict that saw the latter leave NBC.
O'Brien left the US network last week, after presenting The Tonight Show for only eight months, when poor ratings for his and Leno's shows saw NBC bosses attempt to reschedule both programmes.
Former Simpsons writer O'Brien was unhappy at the broadcaster's attempt to move the Tonight Show to a 00:05 slot and after weeks of a public backlash against both NBC and Leno, left the network with a pay-off of around $45 million, $12 million of which will go to his staff.
Leno had been criticised by many celebrities and industry for his perceived reneging on an agreement to hand the Tonight Show over to O'Brien after 17 years in the post and will return to the late-night talkshow in March.
Appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show on Thursday, Leno is quoted by People as saying it "didn't seem appropriate" to make a clear-the-air phone call to O'Brien.
The comedian explained he plans to "let things cool down" before talking to his former NBC colleague, continuing: "Maybe we'll talk, you know."
However, Leno denied that his lack of conversation with O'Brien was due to pointed remarks made by the latter and several other television presenters, saying: "They were jokes. And that's okay."
He added: "It's like being a fighter and say when you got punched in the head, did it hurt? Well, yeah. But you're a fighter. That's what you do."
See Conan O'Brien's farewell speech below: