Conan O'Brien criticises talk show rival Leno

Tonight Show ratings slipped under Conan O'Brien

US talk show host Conan O'Brien has taken a swipe at rival Jay Leno for bringing his reign on The Tonight Show to a premature end.

Speaking publicly for the first time since he left the show, O'Brien said he would have "done something else, gone someplace else", unlike Leno.

He was paid $45m (£28m) by the NBC network after seven months to make way for the return of his predecessor.

O'Brien is set to begin a new chat show with cable channel TBS in November.

'Toxic relationship'

The new show could directly clash with Leno on his late evening talk show.

His interview with the 60 Minutes programme is due to be aired on 2 May, after an agreement with NBC which banned him from speaking about the episode expires.

O'Brien, who is in the midst of a sold-out concert tour, told interviewer Steve Kroft that he needed to leave the network because the "relationship is going to be toxic".

"I'm not sure these people even want me here," he added of the end of his time with the broadcaster.

Leno left The Tonight Show earlier this year to take up a peak time slot on NBC, but his ratings suffered.

O'Brien failed to perform well on The Tonight Show, and CBS rival David Letterman's audience figures surged ahead.

A move to put both presenters in late evening slots was rejected by O'Brien, enabling Leno to take back the reins at his old show.