Jimmy Fallon returned to “The Tonight Show” stage on Monday evening after recovering from COVID, which he contracted at the start of his winter break.
Earlier in the day, Fallon — who was vaccinated and boosted — turned to Instagram to publicly reveal his holiday COVID diagnosis for the first time.
“Hey guys, on the first day of our holiday break I tested positive for Covid,” Fallon wrote. “I was vaccinated and boostered which made me lucky enough to only have mild symptoms.”
He continued: “Thank you to the doctors and nurses who work so hard around the clock to get everyone vaxxed. Thank you to NBC for taking the testing protocols so seriously and doing a great job – and also thanks for putting me in the ‘What ‘chu talkin’ about Willis?’ isolation room when they told me the news.”
To accompany his post, Fallon shared a photo of himself behind a glass bearing the “Different Strokes” catch phrase said by Gary Coleman’s character, Arnold.
In the comments, a fan asked if there would be guests hosts of “The Tonight Show,” but Fallon responded by confirming he’s recovered.
“The positive test came back on 12/18. Back at work today and feeling 100%!” he wrote, and Fallon was indeed back behind the desk Monday night.
In related news, “The View” moderator Whoopi Goldberg tested positive for COVID over break and is taking the week off.
