Comedian Pete Lee Tells Jimmy Fallon He Watched His House Burn Down on TV
Lee also managed to deliver a stand-up set the same week he was personally affected by the California wildfires.
With catastrophic wildfires engulfing the city and surrounding areas, it's been a devastating week for Los Angeles residents — including comedian Pete Lee.
"I don't mean to be a bummer. This is a comedy show, I'm a comedian, but: My house burned down yesterday," Lee told the audience at the beginning of his January 9 Tonight Show appearance.
"That was the most studio-audience response I've ever heard. That was like a game show where it went to zero to bankrupt," he joked in reaction to the crowd's audibly-sad response.
Lee also shared before-and-after photos of his home as it looked, and its current charred remains, and cleared up a misconception that everyone who saw their homes destroyed are rich, when in fact many are non-celebrities who live and work in L.A.
He also described the surreal experience of watching his house burn on a news broadcast.
"The anchor was in front of my house. And he's like, 'Some people are finding out right now that their home is burning by watching this broadcast.' And I'm watching it with a friend, I'm like, 'Yeah, that's me. That's my house," Lee told Fallon. "My friend goes, 'Which one is your house?' And I go, 'The orange one.'"
Though Lee acknowledged that his situation is "really sad," the comedian explained how being on The Tonight Show felt "therapeutic" for him. "It also gave me something to focus on, and you're a great friend, Jimmy. You're a great man. I love you," Lee declared.
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"I always said, 'Pete, if you want to go back or check in on anything...' And you said no," Jimmy Fallon responded. "I appreciate this because I think it shows everyone how strong everyone is right now during these times. L.A. is going to come back, and they're gonna come back stronger."
Comedian Pete Lee coped with losing his house in the L.A. fires by writing jokes
It has been a traumatic week for Lee, but he coped the way a comedian would — by writing jokes. Even when writing an Instagram post updating everyone on his house, Lee told Fallon how he was "crying so hard that it sounded like pulling a straw in and out of a fast food cup."
"There are gonna be people, with already the jokes that I've said making light of this, that are going to be mad at me because they're going to go, 'Hey, you're making fun of a tragedy too soon.' My house burned down. I can tell jokes about this," he continued.
"So my coping... Yesterday, I was crying, and then I just kept writing down jokes," he said. “I hope people won't think this is tasteless,” he continued, as he pulled out some notes to workshop his new wildfire-themed set.
“When your house burns down, Dry January is over,” he joked. “I was drinking like Prohibition was gonna start tomorrow.” Another one of his quips had him comparing how his "blaze orange" house "looked like the logo for a Guy Fieri restaurant."
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On January 9, Lee wrote on Instagram, "I wasn’t home when the fire came through yesterday. I’m in NYC running my Tonight Show set for tomorrow. So grateful to have a healthy distraction. But way more grateful that everyone in the neighborhood got out alive. Still, I’m so sad, which isn’t an emotion you’re used to seeing me wear."
After his sit-down with Fallon, Lee later returned to The Tonight Show stage to perform a hysterical standup set — and received a standing ovation from the audience. Watch it below.
