Tim Allen gives Jay Leno update after presenter suffered ‘serious’ facial burns from car fire

Tim Allen has provided a promising update on Jay Leno’s recovery after the former Tonight Show host suffered third-degree burns from a garage car fire.

After cancelling his scheduled appearance at a Las Vegas financial conference last week (13 November), the organisers sent out an email to attendees explaining that Leno’s absence was due to a “serious medical emergency”.

“I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire. I am ok. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet,” Leno later shared.

Following a visit with Leno on Thursday (17 November), friend Allen told TMZ reporters: “He’s feeling better.”

“He took his car magazines. We did some jokes, which is what we do. We commiserated.”

The Toy Story star quipped that Leno “didn’t look all that good to begin with”, but that he’s still “handsome and he’s happy and the hospital’s doing a great job taking care of him”.

“He’s going for the George Clooney look, you’re gonna be surprised,” Allen added.

The former late-night host was in his LA garage, where he stores his cars, when one of them suddenly erupted into flames.

Leno was taken to the Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles, where he underwent surgery and will remain for further treatment.

He suffered burns to his face, hands and chest that his plastic surgeon, Peter H Grossman, categorised as second-degree or verging on more severe, during a news conference on Wednesday (16 November).

Some of the facial wounds “are a little bit deeper and a little more concerning” because they’re showing signs of progressing to third-degree, as can happen with burns, Grossman explained.

Leno is famously known for his extensive car collection, which is said to include around 180 cars and 160 motorcycles.

In 2015, he launched his CNBC series Jay Leno’s Garage which ran for seven seasons, with its final episode airing at the end of last month.