Jay Leno Can't Stop Cracking Jokes About His 'New Face' After Accident

Jay Leno is one lucky man. On November 12, 2022, the comedian was working on a car with his friend, Dave Killackey, when a clogged fuel line sprayed gasoline onto Leno's face. He was dangerously close to the pilot light and a spark caught on fire, igniting Leno. "It felt exactly like my face was on fire. Maybe like the most intense sunburn you've ever had, that'd be fair to say," he recalled, per People. Thankfully, Leno didn't panic and knew not to breathe in the flames. Killackey helped pull him out from underneath the 1907 White Steam Car and helped him until the paramedics arrived.

Leno was treated for burns on his face, upper body, and left arm, but his surgeon, Dr. Peter Grossman, marveled at how quickly Leno healed. Just less than a week after his accident, he was back to performing his standup routine. "It kind of gave my career a shot in the arm because it's like, 'Let's go see him before he burns up again,'" he cracked. Months later, he is still joking about what could have been a tragic event.

Jay Leno is keeping his spirits up after surviving third-degree burns from a car fire accident. The comedian visited "The Kelly Clarkson Show" and opened up about the horrific ordeal. Clarkson complimented Leno on his appearance and he quipped, "This is a brand new face ... It's unbelievable. I was working on a car and I got a face full of gasoline and it caught fire. I'd been eating a flaming hot Dorito ... When I bit into it, it set my face on fire," he joked. In a moment of gravity, Leno admitted, "It was pretty bad." Clarkson exclaimed, "I can't tell at all!" Leno went back to his humorous self and pointing to his chin, cracked, "No, you'd think there'd be a zipper here or something ... Only for the second time in my career am I the new face of comedy."

As People reported, Leno had to undergo two skin-grafting surgeries, as well as hyperbaric oxygen treatment, which helped accelerate healing. At the time, Dr. Peter Grossman stated, "Some of the burns to the face are a little deeper and a little more concerning." Thankfully, Leno made a full recovery, and according to Clarkson, he is looking better than ever.