Leno returns as host of 'Tonight'

LOS ANGELES, March 2 (UPI) -- Jay Leno earned a warm reception from the audience when he returned as host of "The Tonight Show" in Los Angeles Monday after a nine-month involuntary break.

"Thank you very much!" E! News quoted Leno as saying when the crowd applauded his entrance. "It's good to be home. I'm Jay Leno, your host ... at least for awhile. ... I'll admit I'm a little bit nervous. Not because it's my first night back, but because I know Dave (Letterman) and Oprah (Winfrey) are watching."

Actor Jamie Foxx was Leno's first guest. E! News said he opened a bottle of champagne and instructed the audience to shout "back" to his "welcome" in Leno's honor.

NBC booted Leno as host of "Tonight" at the end of last season and gave the position to Conan O'Brien to keep O'Brien from moving to another network. NBC then offered Leno a nightly, hour-long, 10 p.m. series.

But when the prime time "Jay Leno Show" failed to be a strong lead-in for local news broadcasts, NBC announced it would push Leno's show back to 11:35 p.m., shorten it to 30 minutes and air "Tonight" at 12:05 a.m. However, O'Brien said he would not remain on "Tonight" if it was bumped to 12:05 a.m. and left the network, paving the way for Leno's return as "Tonight" host in the traditional 11:35 p.m. slot.