Jay Leno steps down from The Tonight Show as Kim Kardashian serenades him

Oprah Winfrey and Jack Black joined in for a rendition of The Sound of Music

Kim Kardashian took part in a rendition of The Sound of Music to bid farewell to US talk show host Jay Leno (The Tonight Show)

US talk show host Jay Leno has stepped down from his long stint on The Tonight Show, after a farewell programme featuring Kim Kardashian…singing.

A host of celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and Jack Black, recreated The Sound of Music to wish the veteran presenter "bon voyage" after more than two decades in the role.

"So long, farewell, last night I told my folks: 'Now I won't be the butt of Leno's jokes," sang an out-of-tune Kardashian.

Comedian Jimmy Fallon will be taking up The Tonight Show’s baton from next week, prompting Black to quip: "So long, farewell, auf-weidersehen, my dear. If Fallon tanks, you’ll be back here next year."

Leno’s final guest was When Harry Met Sally actor Billy Crystal, who first appeared on his sofa in May 1992. Crystal paid tribute to Leno, praising the 63-year-old host for helping America "sleep better at night".

“I am the luckiest guy in the world, this is tricky,” said a tearful Leno, who revealed that after losing three members of his family in his first three years in the job, “the folks here became my family”.

“Being together all these years, it’s kind of like graduating high school,” he continued. “When I started hosting, marijuana was illegal and you could smoke cigarettes anywhere you wanted. 22 years ago there was no Craigslist […] and guys actually had to go to the news stand for porn.

“When I started, Justin Bieber wasn’t even born yet, that’s why we called it the good old days.”

Fans took to Twitter to send their goodbye messages to Leno, while US president Barack Obama said in a send-off clip: “Jay, you’ve made a whole lot of jokes about me over the years, but don’t worry, I’m not upset.”

Leno has already quit the The Tonight Show once, in 2009, but he soon returned in 2010 to take the slot back from Conan O’Brien. Now, he plans to stay out of the limelight, planning instead to play comedy clubs and spend time indulging his main hobby – cars.