NEW YORK, July 15 — Jimmy Fallon returned to host “The Tonight Show” yesterday after a two-week break and said he almost lost a finger in an accident at his New York apartment that turned out to be much more serious than first thought.

Fallon, 40, told his TV talk show audience yesterday that he needed six hours of micro-surgery on his finger after catching his wedding ring in a kitchen countertop when he tripped and fell in June.

Doctors said he had suffered “ring avulsion” that almost pulled his finger off. They took a vein from his foot and re-connected it with tissue from his finger, the comedian said.

“Apparently the odds aren’t great with these things,” said Fallon, brandishing a heavily bandaged hand. “Usually they just cut your finger off.”

Fallon said he spent 10 days in intensive care and that he is not expected to get the feeing back in his finger for about two months.

Fallon thanked medical staff for his care and fans for their well-wishes. The accident, he said, made him realise how much he loved his job.

“This is the meaning of my life. I belong on TV... This is my job. I’m here to make you laugh,” he said to cheers from the audience.

Comcast-owned NBC ran repeats of “The Tonight Show” during Fallon's absence. — Reuters