VIDEO: An Emotional Jay Leno Bids Heartfelt Farewell to TONIGHT SHOW

Jay Leno gave a teary-eyed, heartfelt farewell speech during his final moments as host of NBC's THE TONIGHT SHOW last night. The comedian thanked the audience "You folks have been loyal, we wouldn't be on the air if it weren't for you." He also shared that his time as host has been the "best 22 years of my life."

Watch the farewell speech in full below!

Click here to watch an All-Star musical salute to Leno, including Oprah, Carol Burnett, Jack Black & more!

Click here to view photos from last night's special broadcast!

Click here to watch Billy Crystyal's special monologue on last night's show!

Jimmy Fallon will take over the reins of TONIGHT and bring the show back to New York City beginning Monday, February 17th.

About the show:

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" features a nightly monologue (the longest in late night), news-making guests, and ongoing comedy segments, including "Headlines," "Jaywalking" and "Battle of Jaywalking All-Stars." The result is a unique and humorous look at the daily happenings in the news and in pop culture.

The program is also a proven barometer of political clout. In 2009, the show made history by being the first late-night show to host a sitting president when Jay Leno welcomed President Barack Obama as a guest.

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" is from Big Dog Productions in association with Universal Television. Debbie Vickers is the executive producer.