Chartthrob Steve Kornacki’s office was a hot mess. Watch Jimmy Fallon clean it up

The latest “Tonight Show” stunt from the self-proclaimed “Marie Kondo of late night” is sure to spark joy.

On Tuesday, comedian Jimmy Fallon decided to thank his NBC colleague Steve Kornacki for his election-cycle service by tidying up the chartthrob’s notoriously messy office.

Kornacki skyrocketed to superstardom in late 2020 due to his tireless coverage of the presidential race and, of course, his magic election map on MSNBC.

“One person who did a fantastic job keeping us in the loop is our friend Steve Kornacki,” Fallon said on “The Tonight Show.” “We once went into his office ... and it is a mess. It is an incredibly messy office. So I thought we’d surprise him again by sneaking downstairs to MSNBC and cleaning things up for him.”

Roll the tape of a masked Fallon venturing into “khaki country,” a.k.a. the dimly lit ghost town that is the MSNBC headquarters amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This feels like I’m in a horror video game,” Fallon joked as he crept through the hallways. “I’m gonna get jump-scared.”

Upon entering Kornacki’s office, Fallon marveled at his haphazard surroundings and took stock. Among the workplace wreckage was a hockey jersey, measuring tape, several neckties of various patterns strewn all over the place and a copy of the “American National Election Studies Data Sourcebook: 1952-1978.” (“This is a light read,” Fallon quipped.)

“Are you kidding me? What has happened?” Fallon said as he surveyed the cluttered scene and broke out the cleaning supplies. “These gloves aren’t even for COVID, just for this office. Look at all these ties. Who has pre-tied ties?”

×

The talk-show host continued to narrate his findings as he waded through the sea of coffee mugs, discarded boxes, loose papers and crumpled shirts. He took a peek below Kornacki’s desk (“You don’t want to know what’s under there”), swept mounds of debris into a garbage bag (“What was that stuck to?”) and tossed various articles of clothing onto a rack.

“I’m literally making your room cleaner by throwing things,” Fallon said. “You’re welcome, Steve. Take a break. You earned it.”

When Kornacki returned to find the room nearly spotless — no doubt thanks to a cleaning crew that took over after Fallon got his footage — he was stunned, wandering around the freed-up space in confused awe until he spotted a note on his desk.

“‘Dear Steve, I thought 2020 was a dumpster fire, but then I saw your office. Just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate you,’” Kornacki read aloud. “‘P.S. Learn how to tie your ties.’”

Addressing a strategically placed camera, the veteran broadcast journalist responded to the letter in real time while continuing to gawk at the “Tonight Show” makeover.

“Thank you,” he said. “This is long overdue. I appreciate it. It’ll probably last about a day or two, but it looks great right now. Happy 2021 to you.”