Last week saw an unusual interruption in Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, as the host canceled a week’s worth of shows over a reported family emergency. Fallon’s mother Gloria had passed on November 4, for which the normally-goofy comedian returned Monday night with a heartfelt address of his most beloved audience member.

Fallon took a moment at the top of Monday’s Tonight Show to address his absence over the last week, opening up his notably private family life to share memories of his late mother, Gloria. In the clip below, a tearful Fallon recalls how “she was the one I was always trying to make laugh,” as well that he “knew we were in trouble” when he grabbed her hand in the hospital to tell her he loved her:

Late-night hosts sharing family relationships with the audience is practically tradition, as David Letterman repeatedly featured his own mother, Dorothy Mengering, on The Late Show before her passing. Stephen Colbert too said goodbye to his mother with a monologue several years ago, while Jimmy Kimmel‘s mother made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the Emmys audience in 2016.

In any case, you can watch Fallon’s emotional tribute above, and stay tuned for the latest from The Tonight Show’s return.

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