U.S. talk show host Jay Leno has agreed to pay laid-off members of his Tonight Show staff - after he was heavily criticized for not offering to pick up their paychecks amid the ongoing writers' strikes. Unlike peers David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, Leno - who makes an estimated $27 million a year - had refused to cover the salaries of his show staff out of his own pocket after they were made redundant on Friday. But after facing a severe backlash from striking workers, the star has relented and agreed to pay his staff a week's wages, according to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. The lay-offs at the Tonight Show are the latest casualties in the ongoing battle between the Writers Guild of America and producers over royalties. The strike immediately shut down the late-night comedy shows and has gradually affected the production of many network-produced prime-time series, including Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives.