David Letterman Surprises Jimmy Fallon as Paul Shaffer Joins The Tonight Show

David Letterman made an unexpected entrance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on February 10, interrupting Fallon's monologue to welcome Paul Shaffer and The World's Most Dangerous Band. The band is stepping in for The Roots, who are rehearsing for Saturday Night Live’s 50th-anniversary concert.

Letterman’s Surprise Entrance

As Fallon wrapped up a joke about Super Bowl LIX, Letterman walked on stage, prompting an excited reaction. "Oh, my God! David Letterman?! My God! What are you doing here?" Fallon shouted.
Letterman, in his signature deadpan style, replied, “Is this the 23rd hour of The Today Show?” before spotting Shaffer and joking, “Paul?! What are you doing here?!”

A Throwback Reunion

Shaffer, who was Letterman’s bandleader for over 30 years on Late Night with David Letterman (1982-1993) and The Late Show with David Letterman (1993-2015), quipped, “You ever taken too much Ambien and then you wake up somewhere with no clue how the hell you got there?”

Letterman replied, “Wow. You’ve been reading my diary.”

Late-Night Chaos Unfolds

The reunion quickly escalated into comedic chaos. Fallon suggested making a TikTok video, to which Letterman joked, “I made an enormous deal with the Chinese government.” When Fallon proposed a handshake challenge, Letterman dismissed it: “Yeah, that was lame. What I really want to do is hit you in the face with a tortilla.”

That’s exactly what happened next. The two engaged in a tortilla slap battle, with Fallon laughing, “I think you cracked a crown!” Letterman shot back, “We’ll see you in court.”

A Week of Nostalgia

Shaffer and The World's Most Dangerous Band will continue leading The Tonight Show through February 14, bringing a nostalgic touch to Studio 6B. Meanwhile, The Roots prepare for SNL’s milestone celebration. With Letterman back in the mix, more surprises could be on the way.

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