Jay Leno Jay Leno ( b . 1950 ) is a stand - up comedian who hosted " The Tonight Show " on NBC from 1992 to 2009 , moved to " The Jay Leno Show " from 2009 to 2010 , and returned to " The Tonight Show " from 2010 until 2014 . He has interviewed the Muppets several times on the show , and also made appearances on " Sesame Street " , " Muppets Tonight " and " The Muppets " . " Sesame Street " . In 1987 , Leno appeared on " Sesame Street " in sketches with Big Bird . In one sketch , Big Bird is disappointed when he gets a phone call from " Johnny " , telling him that he can ' t come over and play a game . Leno offers to help : " I " love " sitting in for Johnny ! " Leno fills Johnny ' s chair , and Big Bird plays " One of These Things " . Leno gets the correct answer , and Big Bird is pleased : " You know ? He really was good at sitting in for Johnny ! " ( This clip was included in the 1994 TV special " " ) In another sketch , Leno describes what he has to do to get ready for a motorcycle ride . Eventually , Big Bird arrives to pull him around on a tricycle . " The Tonight Show " . Leno interviewed Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog when they appeared on the show in 1989 to promote " The Jim Henson Hour " . In June 1996 , Miss Piggy appeared to promote " In the Kitchen with Miss Piggy " , leading to some very flirtatious talk - - at one point , Piggy asked if Leno had " a problem with intimacy " , and then offered : " Would you like to touch me ? Go ahead ! Anywhere you ' d like ! " When Kermit made an appearance on the show in November , he admitted that he was " a little miffed . . . I mean , if you choose to have Miss Piggy on the show , and flirt with her outrageously , why should that bother me ? I know , if Kevin Eubanks wants to keep calling her and asking her out , why should that bother me , y ' know ? . . . Piggy can be that way . " Piggy returned to the show on New Year ' s Eve 1996 , to report live from the roof of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square as the ball dropped to ring in the new year . She spent the evening complaining about the rooftop being cold and the partying crowd being too noisy . When Leno asked her what she would normally be doing on New Year ' s Eve , Piggy said , " Well , usually , I have a romantic candlelight dinner for two with Kermie . But this year , my agent Bernie decided I should spend New Year ' s Eve on top of a freezing building with three teamsters named Vinnie ! " Piggy returned to the show on August 31 , 2011 in the cold opening , complaining how Animal and OK Go were performing tonight and she was not invited on the show to promote " The Muppets " . Leno tries to make up with her by inviting Piggy to sit on his desk . Piggy thinks she is going to host the Tonight Show and gets excited until she finds out that the desk is in Leno ' s office . In the backstage web video of " The Tonight Show " during the Muppets ' appearance , Bryan Branly apologies to Piggy for not inviting her , but Piggy refuse to leave without hosting the show . " Muppets Tonight " . In 1996 , Leno and " Tonight Show " bandleader Kevin Eubanks appeared in of " Muppets Tonight " . In the episode , Bobo the Bear has accidentally killed the show ' s guest star , Arsenio Hall , and is looking around for another celebrity to fill in . Leno volunteers to star , but Bobo doesn ' t recognize him . " The Muppets " ( 2015 ) . Fozzie Bear attends Leno ' s house party in " The Muppets " episode " " . In a nervous fit , he steals a candy dish from Leno ' s house , attempting to return it later after being unable to deal with the guilt . Before he can undo his deed , the dish breaks on Leno ' s driveway . Leno plans on inviting him to be his opening comedy act , but rescinds the offer after catching him trying to steal another item .