UPDATE, 12:45 AM: Jay Leno may not have addressed rumors that he was leaving NBC‘s The Tonight Show to be replaced by Jimmy Fallon, but the Late Night host did — sort of (check out the video below). On tonight’s show, Fallon’s first monologue remarks were about changes at NBC late-night. “Before we get started, I have to talk about the rumors that came out today which say that I’ll be moving up to 11:30, or as my parents call it, ‘Umm, still too late.’ Actually the rumors are true: NBC is turning The Tonight Show into a diving competition. So exciting,” the host said.
Related: Speculation On NBC’s Jay Leno-Jimmy Fallon Transition Intensifies
PREVIOUS, WEDNESDAY PM: It was business as usual for Jay Leno in his opening monologue on The Tonight Show tonight — no mention of the swirling speculation that he is nearing an exit from the show but more swipes at his employer NBC, an ongoing tradition the past couple of weeks. Leno’s joke tonight was more subtle than usual, again taking on NBC’s ratings woes. “According to several reports, scientists say they are getting closer and closer to being able to do Jurassic Park-style cloning of extinct species. Imagine that? Things that were once thought to be extinct could be brought back from the dead. So there’s hope for NBC. It could turn around.” In one of his recent monologue jokes, Leno compared NBC executives to snakes and previously declared that NBC’s ratings are so bad, “The Biggest Loser isn’t just a TV show anymore; it’s our new motto.”
Get more from Deadline.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter