Conan O’Brien To Be Leno’s Last Guest on ‘Tonight Show’

Marks Conan O’Brien's 17th appearance on the show

By David Tanklefsky -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/14/2009 3:17:00 PM

Jay Leno’s final guest on The Tonight Show is the man who is ushering in the post-Leno era. Leno announced Thursday that Conan O’Brien will be the last guest during his Tonight Show finale May 29. O’Brien will be appearing on the show for a 17th time. He takes over hosting duties on June 1.
 
Other guests during Leno’s last week at Tonight include several top celebrities and newsmakers. Mel Gibson will make his first appearance on the show in years May 25. It will be his first public interview since news came out about his impending divorce.
 
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will appear May 26, followed by comedian and recent White House Correspondents dinner speaker Wanda Sykes. Billy Crystal, Leno’s first-ever Tonight Show guest back in 1992, will be in the studio May 28.
 
Musical guests for the last week include Lyle Lovett and Dwight Yoakam. Both have appeared on Leno 24 times, more than any other musicians. Sarah McLachlan, Prince and James Taylor finish off the week.