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Conan O'Brien's return to the 'Tonight Show' marked as a triumph among viewers

"This hit me right in the feels."

"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon"/Youtube

Coco is back, baby.

Conan O’Brien had a blink-and-you-missed-it run as “Tonight Show” host. After only a year, he was unceremoniously laid off in 2010 by NBC due to a contractual dispute and replaced by former host Jay Leno, followed by Jimmy Fallon in 2014.

But despite his short-lived reign, O’Brien cemented himself as a wickedly funny and whip smart performer, as well as a master of recurring gags, self-deprecating humor and engaging conversation…not to mention developing a reputation for being a pretty great guy off the air.

Which is why fans were excited to see O’Brien appear as a “Tonight Show” guest for Tuesday’s episode, marking a return to his old stomping grounds for the first time in 14 years. And let’s just say…O’Brien’s comeback did not disappoint.

During parts of the interview, O’Brien exuded that same amount of candid poise that he famously maintained throughout the 2010 controversy. Like when he talked about podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” the project that followed his “Tonight Show” exit, he said he still considered hosting a late-night show “the best job in the world,” but shared his appreciation for the podcast format since it allows for longer, more in-depth conversations with guests.

But along with all the sentimentality were trademark rapid fire zingers and absurdly dramatic outbursts, especially when talking about how “weird” it felt to be back at Rockefeller Center.

"I was here for 16 years doing the ‘Late Night’ show," O'Brien told Jimmy Fallon (both “Late Night” and “The Tonight Show” filmed in the same building.

"When someone else is in your studio it feels weird. So I walked in and said, 'Who's in my old studio?' And they said 'Kelly Clarkson'. And I love Kelly Clarkson, who doesn't love Kelly Clarkson? But still I felt like, IT'S NOT RIGHT! BLASPHEMY! THEY SHOULD HAVE BURNED IT TO THE GROUND!"

"And then Kelly came out to say hi and I said, DON'T TALK TO ME! YOU MAKE ME SICK!!"

Man, O'Brien really knows how to commit to the bit. Watch:

O’Brien’s interview was so well received that fans seemed to fall in love with him all over again.

“Conan returns to the Tonight Show in TRIUMPHHH being one of the greatest of all time.”

“Conan is going down in history as one of the greatest to ever do it!”

“Conan's career is a true testament to the saying ‘Everything happens for a reason.’”

“This hit me right in the feels.”

“The man's a national treasure, give him everything.”

If you’re left wanting even more Coco, O’Brien has a new series, “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” which debuts on April 18 on Max. Talk about a full circle moment.

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Kelly Clarkson correctly pronouncing a guest's name on her show seems simple but it speaks volumes

Viewers appreciated how respectfully Clarkson handled her interview with K-pop group TWICE when she asked performer Tzuyu how to properly pronounce her name.

The Kelly Clarkson Show/Youtube

It really is as simply as that.

What’s in a name?

A lot, actually. We know that names reflect certain aspects of one’s identity. We know that repeated mispronunciation of a person’s name potentially undermines that identity. We know that sometimes this is unintentional, and other times, more insidious intentions of “othering” are at play. Especially when it comes to those with non-English names.

We also know that, on the flip side, making the effort to properly pronounce a person’s name is one of the simplest forms of kindness and respect that someone can offer. And it really pays dividends.

Just take a page from Kelly Clarkson’s book.

Clarkson recently had K-pop girl group TWICE on her show to perform their latest English single, "Moonlight Sunrise."

With the help of an onstage translator, Clarkson bonded with the group about starting their careers from reality TV—Clarkson from “American Idol,” and TWICE from South Korean TV show “Sixteen”.

During the interview, Clarkson made sure to personally address all nine members in the group—Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu—by their name.

Then, at one point, Clarkson checked with the translator to see if she was pronouncing Tzuyu’s name correctly.

Clarkson pronounced it the way many English-speaking fans did—”Tzoo-Yoo.” The translator explained that while that version is “good,” the Korean version is actually pronounced “Jjeu-Wee.” Almost resembling the word “chewy.”

The stark contrast between pronunciations at first threw the host a little. And after doing a lighthearted doubletake (“Wait, what?!”) Clarkson quickly decided to go straight to the source.

"How do you want me to say it?" she asked Tzuyu.

Tzuyu responded, "Jjeu-Wee."

In typical Kelly Clarkson fashion, she quipped, "How you say it is adorable! OK, so, Jjeu-Wee—I think I said it right, I'm trying," before moving on to talk more about their song.

It’s such a short exchange, but it made a huge impact. Those who watched online complemented Clarkson on her efforts to make her guests feel welcomed.

“I love that Kelly is trying so hard to pronounce her name and making them feel comfortable. And that was the closest she could get to correctly pronouncing Tzuyu in one day! I could barely pronounce it perfectly in a month so, congrats Kelly!” one person wrote.

Another added, “The way Kelly pronounced Tzuyu to cheewy and saying it's adorable you can feel she knows how to respect and entertain her guest even though there is a language barrier. We love you Kelly and Twice.”

Watch below:

Big thanks to Kelly for showing just how easy it is to offer this truly simple gesture. And within the span of 30 seconds, no less.

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Dwayne Johnson and Kelly Clarkson's country music tribute has to be heard to be believed

OK, so where can we buy their Christmas album?

The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube

The duo sang Loretta Lynn's "Don't Come Home a Drinkin'"

Everybody knows Kelly Clarkson has pipes and any fan of Disney’s “Moana” knows that Dwayne Johnson can carry a tune. But I don’t think in a million years anyone would have guessed the two singing together could result in a truly spectacular duet. All in full twang, no less!

Clarkson and Johnson (can’t you see their names co-headlining a tour?) paid tribute to honky-tonk superstar Loretta Lynn, who passed away on Oct. 4 at age 90, by singing arguably everyone’s favorite country song from the '60s about rejecting drunken sex—“Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’.”

The “American Idol” singer expectedly shines in the song—displaying effortless vocal power while retaining Lynn’s signature lilt. But much to everyone’s surprise, her voice paired well—like, superbly well—with The Rock’s, who held his own during the performance as well.

"His voice really actually fits that song," one listener wrote. "Who would have guessed Dwayne is a countryboy??"

Seriously. Take a listen.

By and large, listeners considered Johnson and Clarkson’s duet to be a sweet and wholesome tribute to the late country music icon.

“Smiling through the whole thing. So unexpected but so wholesome. This makes my heart so happy. RIP Loretta,” commented one person.

“Paying tribute to the WONDERFUL Loretta Lynn with vocals sung by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Queen Kelly is nothing more than AWESOME and I liked how both of them duetted together for this song!” added another.

Perhaps the biggest secret revealed by this performance, however, is that Johnson has been a country boy this entire time, and even once had his own country music ambitions.

During a virtual interview with Clarkson in 2021, the “Jumanji” star shared that “I grew up loving real, traditional country. When I got to Nashville ... I used to hang out down there and listen to all the acts, and I did have it in my mind that I was gonna become a country music singer.”

It was that confession that inspired Clarkson to invite Johnson to sing a duet—so yeah, basically this musical treat was a year in the making. And after this performance, it looks like he might get another chance at that dream, after all. I know I’d buy the collab album. Yeehaw.

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Watch Anne Hathaway hilariously beat Kelly Clarkson at her own karaoke game

The Kelly Clarkson Show/YouTube

Anne Hathaway knocked Kelly Clarkson off her feet in a game of "Sing That Name That Tune."

If there's anyone you don't want to go up against in a singing contest, it's Kelly Clarkson. The singer who made "American Idol" her success as much as it was theirs is arguably one of the most talented singers alive today. Who would dare to go up against those pipes in a competition?

Anne Hathaway, apparently.

Hathaway proved herself to be no slouch in the musical world with her performance as Fantine in "Les Miserables," but still. We're talking Queen Kelly Clarkson here. It would take some serious guts to compete with the Queen, no matter how well you can sing.

But Hathaway not only agreed to some friendly competition on Clarkson's show, she actually slayed it. Not by besting Clarkson's vocal chops, but by recognizing songs and singing them before Clarkson could—including, as it turned out, one of Clarkson's own greatest hits.

The game was "Sing That Name That Tune," in which Hathaway and Clarkson competed to see who could start singing karaoke to a song after just hearing an intro. Whoever recognized the song first and stepped up to sing it would win the round. In the first two rounds, Clarkson stepped up first, but she didn't get the songs right. (Well, technically, she got the second song right but couldn't sing any of the lyrics, so Hathaway took it.)

"Can you play a fricking song I'll know!" said Clarkson. So the band did. Her hit song, "Since You've Been Gone." And Hathaway still beat her to it.

Watch:

First, kudos on the belting. That's not an easy song to sing. Second, Clarkson's reaction was hilarious. Classic Kelly Clarkson. And Anne Hathaway's cool confidence made a perfect contrast. So fun.

People joked about Anne Hathaway being a theater kid and how that experience led her to this very moment.

It actually gets better when you watch the whole segment, because the song that followed "Since You've Been Gone" ended up creating an awesome David Bowie and Vanilla Ice mash-up.

Was it all scripted? Who knows. It's fun nonetheless and Kelly Clarkson's response is already being made into a GIF, which we'll surely start to see everywhere.

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