It’s official.

Jimmy Fallon will take over as The Tonight Show host at the end of NBC’s coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics from Sochi, Russia.

After weeks of speculation, Jay Leno’s 21-year-reign as the host of the popular late night show has come to an end.

NBC is also confirming reports that it plans to move the television program from it’s longtime home in Los Angeles to its birthplace in New York.

Tensions were running high after countless media reports speculated that Leno wasn’t a part of the transition talks.

“Clearly our goal has been to make this a smooth transition,” NBC’s chief executive Steve Burke said in a telephone interview. “Jay deserves to be treated like someone who has done a wonderful thing for our company for two decades.”

Are you shocked by the news? Do you think Fallon will make a great host? Weigh in below.

Oh no, Ryan Gosling is taking a break. A Rihanna tour bus was caught with pot on-board. And, Christina Aguilera turns heads with a stunning makeover.

Celebuzz has the scoop on Thursday’s top stories.

Ryan Gosling Is Taking A Break From Acting

The actor says that he needs a break away from himself and thinks we do too. We need more Gosling, not less! Read more of what he had to say on Huffington Post.

Rihanna’s Tour Bus Caught With Weed

10 of the singer’s tour buses were stopped at the border between Michigan and Canada, and found to have pot in their possession. TMZ has the full story.

Christina Aguilera’s Stunning Makeover

The 32-year-old singer turned heads at an event on Wednesday revealing a fresh-faced look and a major weight loss. See the pics on Us Weekly.

Jimmy Fallon Tapped To Take Over For Jay Leno

NBC is looking to try to swap out The Tonight Show hosts again. After their failed attempt back in 2009 to hand over the reigns to Conan O’Brien, it looks like they’re going to try to swap out Jay Leno with Jimmy Fallon in 2014. Get the scoop on Newser.

Who Is Ready For More Chris Pine?

Vulture has the epic new trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness. We can’t wait to see this when it hits theaters on May 15.

Jay Leno has created some buzz for NBC this week after firing some shots at the big men upstairs in his monologues on The Tonight Show, which apparently continued on Wednesday when the host compared the network to extinct dinosaurs.

It all started in late-February when he joked about NBC’s low ratings by calling the network “Cinco de Ratings” after it sunk below Univision in viewership. And reportedly, that landed him in hot water with entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt.

But, that hasn’t stopped the comedian was taking more shots at the network. On Monday night, he poked fun at the execs saying, “You know the whole legend of St. Patrick, right? St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland — and then they came to the United States and became NBC executives.”

But this wasn’t all the host had to say. The very next day, he continued his firestorm commenting, “Did you hear about this? A 28-year-old woman from Serbia has a rare brain condition where she sees everything upside down. The good news? She’s now been given a job at the White House as President Obama’s economic adviser. Isn’t that crazy? It’s unbelievable. She sees everything upside down. In fact, she thinks NBC is at the top of the ratings.”

Ouch! So what’s possibly fueling Leno to lash out?

Reports have been circling that NBC brass is already plotting Leno’s replacement with Jimmy Fallon, who attracts a much younger viewer demographic, when the late show vet’s contract is up in Summer 2014.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that that a celeb has spoken out about their projects or their bosses. From Katherine Heigl’s Knocked up and Grey’s Anatomy comments to Halle Berry, click through our gallery above for 10 stars who bit the hand that fed them.

What do you think of Leno’s jabs at his own network? Comment below!

The fans were not in favor of Anne Hathaway on the night of the BAFTAs.

Hathaway made for a fashionable yet late arrival during the award show on Sunday night, prompting a less-than-friendly reception from the crowd in London.

“I was so late that I had to run straight down to the end of the carpet and miss all the interviews,” she admitted to Jay Leno Wednesday night on The Tonight Show. “And, the worst part was, I missed the fans. They’re out in the cold and the rain and the sleet, and they booed me.”

Adding, “I got booed, my dress ripped and I had the flu.”

While the first part of the evening went array, not all was lost: the Les Miserables star went onto win the award for Best Supporting Actress during the show (aka the “British Oscars”).

“But it turned out great,” Hathaway quickly added. “I got to hug George Clooney, and that’s the whole point. And, oh yeah, I got a really amazing, prestigious award. That’s pretty cool.”

The Oscar-nominated actress had a good reason for her tardiness, explaining to Leno that the zipper on her custom-made designer dress had ripped — and not even a makeshift sewing attempt could hide the malfunction.

“I look like a turkey that has been sewn together. Just not good,” Hathaway said.

Despite the debacle, Hathaway made a stylish statement at the show, looking glamorous in a studded Burberry gown.

“It’s a perfectly gorgeous dress,” she said.

As she takes a brief break from the awards season hysteria, Hathaway reflected on her Valentine’s Day plans today with hubby Adam Shulman — taking part in Eve Ensler‘s One Billion Rising, a worldwide campaign started by the Vagina Monologues author that aims to use dance to help bring an end toward violence against women.

Launch the video to watch Anne‘s appearance on Jay Leno.

From the runway to table tops, Heidi Klum certainly knows how to strut her stuff.

The supermodel and Project Runway host appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote her fragrance Surprise, and Klum came armed with another surprise in store — a table top dancing lesson.

The fun all began when Leno showed a photo of Klum dancing on a table during a Golden Globes after party.

“I had fun. I was with my friend Lorraine Schwartz, she’s like one of the best jewelry designers,” the 39-year-old explained. “We were at the Harvey Weinstein party afterwards, and she was like, ‘This party is so boring, we need to do something fun,’ and she’s like, ‘Go and dance on the table,’ so, someone had to. So I did. And, you know, I had a few glasses of champagne and so I was like, ‘Why not?’”

Leading Leno to ask: “Have you ever fallen while dancing on a table?”

“Well, no, ’cause I got skills,” Klum responded. “You just have to get up…”

The reality show host proceeded to climb atop her chair, grabbing Leno’s hand as she got on his desk — and gave viewers the ultimate peep show, thanks to her see-through dress, which put her toned thighs on full display.

Klum continued to bust a move as the band played a cover of Rihanna‘s “Only Girl (in the World).”

Wonder if Seal tuned in…

Click the video, above, to watch Heidi’s dance!

Maybe third time’s a charm?

Throughout their two-year engagement, Jessica Simpson and fiance Eric Johnson have tried to get married, but there’s been a few speed (err, baby) bumps along the way.

“We’ve had two different wedding dates, but he keeps knocking me up,” the expectant star joked Tuesday on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

While awaiting the arrival of her second baby (exclusively reported by Celebuzz), Simpson remains dedicated to planning her upcoming nuptials.

“We’re doing it very backwards, I know…I’ll just keep my legs crossed, I guess, this time,” said Simpson, who flaunted her pregnancy curves in a low-cut leopard print dress.

When asked if she planned her second pregnancy, Simpson confessed it was a shocking surprise.

“Apparently it was a part of God’s plan for my life,” she said with a laugh. “I was extremely shocked…because I was going through a lot of hormonal changes, trying to get back to the old, vibrant Jessica. You know, it was kind of like a one-night stand. And it happened, all over again!”

This time around, Simpson is vowing to maintain a healthier lifestyle after gaining “‘a lot more [weight] than doctors would recommend.”

“I was really happy to be pregnant and I didn’t ever step on the scale,” admitted Simpson, who was criticized for her eating habits while pregnant with 8-month-old daughter Maxwell. “I didn’t realize you could gain that much weight that quickly.”

 ”I didn’t really make any healthy good decisions,” she added.

With her family life keeping her busy, the proud mom is taking on one additional title: soon-to-be TV star.

Simpson is currently ironing out the details for her in-the-works NBC sitcom, which is loosely based on her real life.

“About a girl getting pregnant?” asked Leno.

“Yes,” Simpson replied about her return to the small screen. “Yes, and how that girl deals with that and everything else…I will be playing myself, which is pretty easy.”

But don’t expect Simpson to name her new show Jessica.

“No…We don’t have a name yet, we’re just now in the process of casting everyone, doing the pilot. I will be playing myself but we’ll have actors playing Eric and my dad. That’ll be funny,” she said.

What do you think of Jessica’s latest TV venture? Will you tune in? Sound off in the comments!

A new year means new moves for Emma Stone.

During an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the 24-year-old actress revealed her resolution for 2013: taking dance classes.

“I would like to dance more — I am an excellent dancer,” she revealed to viewers.

Determined to bring on the laughs, Leno quizzed Stone on her preferred type of dancing — pole or tabletop.

“Sometimes it is table top, but no, I kind of want to take some dance classes and dance around the house more,” she replied.

Would The X Factor host Khloe Kardashian Odom ever consider competing on the FOX singing competition?

“In my head I can sing, but to the public I probably cannot sing, no,” the reality star admitted Tuesday night on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

However, that didn’t stop mom Kris Jenner from believing her daughter could have a future in the music industry. ”My mom would do anything for that 10 percent, wouldn’t she?” joked Kardashian Odom.

As if the audience needed any more proof, Leno surprised the reality star with a home video shot by her late father, Robert Kardashian, featuring a little Khloe singing “Happy Birthday.”

“That is talent right there,” she joked of her pitchy performance.

But, it wasn’t the sound of her own voice that most affected Kardashian Odom. “Who liked my home video when I was a baby that @jayleno played tonight? I love hearing my daddy’s voice,” she tweeted.

She may not have a future in music, but the reality star’s husband Lamar Odom might. It turns out the basketball player has a knack for writing rhymes.

Kardashian Odom revealed her husband loves sending her sister Kim’s boyfriend, Kanye West, original rap lyrics. ”Lamar is actually really good at writing,” she said.

“He sends Kanye lyrics and they egg each other on, but I’ll be like, ‘Kim, I’m so sorry, he did it again last night!’”

As for whether West is likely to become part of the Kardashian family anytime soon, Kardashian Odom replied, “There’s a chance for everything!”

The X Factor airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 PM on FOX.

Not even a Twi-hard could explain the premise of Breaking Dawn – Part 2 — the final installment of The Twilight Saga — better than the series’ leading lady, Kristen Stewart.

“Popped one out, pretty concerned with that. Me and Edward are doing quite well; people keep trying to kill my baby. But I’m now super spectacular so I can take care of that, being a vampire,” the actress explained to Tonight Show host Jay Leno Monday night.

However, when it came to the film’s rumored twist ending — deep breaths, Twi-hards — Stewart kept things cautiously vague.

“It’s so shocking,” she teased. “Every time I see it or even think about it I get giddy. It freaks me out.” But for fans of the books, the ending shouldn’t comes as too much of a surprise. “It’s easy to skim over. But you can find the root of our little twist [in the book].”

The twist ending isn’t the only aspect of Breaking Dawn – Part 2 that has Stewart giddy with anticipation. The actress, whose love life was the subject of tabloid headlines this summer when she and boyfriend Robert Pattinson briefly split, recently turned the media attention toward her character’s on-screen romance.

“I love the film,” she told a group of reporters at the film’s press conference in Los Angeles. “It’s romantic — it’s what is attractive about it, it’s what is so stirring.”

The Twilight Saga – Breaking Dawn Part 2 opens on Nov. 16.

Wondering which TV shows to watch to stay informed as the election approaches? Here’s a tip: Avoid the news. Stick with the comics and commentators.

Here’s why: The news is just the starting point of the conversation. So you won’t get much of that from the standard newscasts. Nor will you get much from the Sunday morning pundit shows. (Sure, all they do is talk about the news, but these shows have become predictable echo chambers where Washington insiders talk only to each other, not to viewers. And they focus too much on the horse-race aspect of who’s ahead or behind this week, as if that matters more than issues that affect the lives of, you know, real people.)

So we’ll go with either the super-opinionated commentators on Fox News or MSNBC (at least they address issues, not just tactics), or the late-night comics, since, when it comes to holding politicians’ feet to the fire, they’ve taken up the job that traditional newscasters have abdicated.

Here, then, are nine shows that will not only keep you informed about the election, but may also keep you entertained in the process.

The Colbert Report (Comedy Central, 11:30 PM Monday through Thursday). In skewering politicians and media pundits by adopting the persona of a Bill O’Reilly-esque talking head, Stephen Colbert pulls off a tricky balancing act that teeters between tribute and evisceration. Somehow, he manages to interview heavyweight authors in ways that allow them to tout their books (or, alternately, let slip how poorly premised their books are) without breaking character.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, 11 PM Monday through Thursday). Conservatives often dismiss Stewart as a liberal clown, but this season, he’s proved perfectly willing to criticize Democrats for their ineptitude. His simple trick, tripping up politicians and media stars alike by digging up video of their contradictory past statements, remains brutally and hilariously effective. Like Colbert, he’s also one of the few hosts who’ll interview authors of substantive books on policy or history.

Hannity (Fox News Channel, 9 PM weeknights). As Team Romney’s most vocal supporter on TV, Sean Hannity offers viewers TV’s most forceful case for the Republican’s election.

The Late Show With David Letterman (CBS, 11:35 PM weeknights). Sure, Dave’s a genial buffoon, mocking candidates left and right (mostly right), but when they show up to be interviewed, which is often, Dave asks surprisingly probing questions (in his explain-it-to-me-like-I’m-an-idiot mode) that seasoned political journalists never ask.

The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, 9 PM weeknights). As Team Obama’s most vocal supporter on TV, Rachel Maddow offers viewers TV’s most forceful case for the Democrat’s re-election.

Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO, 10 PM Fridays). Maher is one of the few hosts who’ll allow conservatives and liberals a space on his show for debate. He’s also one of the few hosts on TV who’ll call BS on any guest who’s lying or being disingenuous.

Saturday Night Live (NBC, 11:30 PM Saturdays). Jim Downey, who has been writing the political sketches for SNL since the days when Dan Aykroyd couldn’t even be bothered to shave off his mustache to play Richard Nixon, has run out of things to say. This season’s re-enactments of the debates have been just that: re-enactments, without much in the way of jokes or a point of view. Still, even if the show’s satire has become toothless, its interpretation of the week’s political news is still the spin everyone talks about and shares via viral video.

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (NBC, 11:35 PM weeknights). Leno provides a friendly forum for all candidates. As it was with Johnny Carson before him, Leno’s monologue is the voice of conventional wisdom and as good a barometer as any of the public mood.

The View (ABC, 11 AM weekdays). Still the place to go for a discussion of political issues from women’s points of view (even if Whoopi Goldberg and Elisabeth Hasselbeck are more passionate than articulate about their positions).

Colin Farrell‘s childhood consisted of some very peculiar habits.

“I was a hair puller, I used to pull my hair out,” the 36-year-old actor told Jay Leno on The Tonight Show on Friday.

“I liked biting nails too . . . I used to enjoy the feeling of plucking hair from my head,” he added.

The Seven Psychopaths star stopped by the show to chat about his new film, but Leno made sure to probe further into the actor’s childhood, which included sneaking out at night.

According to Farrell, he used to sneak out of his home and take a little stroll.

“I’d climb into the neighborhood and walk around the streets and look into people’s windows,” he told Leno.

What else did the star share about his childhood?

As some Farrell fans may know, when the star was 17, he was approached by a scout to audition for a boy band in Dublin.

“I hadn’t finished school and I thought, I’d go along for a look,” Farrell told Leno on Friday.

“I went along . . . I went and they made me sing ‘Careless Whisper,’ by Wham! man,” he added.

The group, of course, went on to form without Farrell, and became a huge success all over the country, under the name Boyzone.

“I was dejected that I was rejected,” Farrell said of the experience.

Farrell’s new film Seven Psychopaths, co-starring Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson and Christopher Walken opens in theaters Oct. 12.

For more of Colin Farrell on The Tonight Show, watch the video above.

How did Rebel Wilson snag the role of Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect? With a little help from Lady Gaga, of course!

The Australian actress put on quite the show for Tonight Show host Jay Leno and Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston Monday night. When asked if she had to sing during her Pitch Perfect audition, Wilson gave Leno a taste of the LOL-worthy rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Edge of Glory” that landed her the coveted role.

“A lot of people sing from their chest voice,” she explained, “And I sing from my breast voice. It’s a new thing that I do.”

Watch as Cranston — who also provided necessary backing vocals — hides his face from Wilson’s flying shoes in the clip above. 

Despite her dress being a little too tight for her fierce finish, Wilson’s cover of “Edge of Glory” is nothing short of aca-mazing – as the movie’s Barton Bellas would say.

Recently, the 26-year-old comedic actress joined Jenny Craig and has already lost more than 33 pounds. In a series of promo videos, the funny lady  jokingly calls herself a former “fugly duckling” who has now dropped enough weight to be “really excellent” at the limbo or to chase after Channing Tatum.

“Some of my dreams have been going really well on the career side, filming movies and TV shows, but the only thing that I feel has been holding me back is my size and how much I weigh,” Wilson said in one of her Jenny Craig video blogs. “No one dreams of being a fat person.”

Pitch Perfect, currently in limited release, opens nationwide on Oct. 5. 

Jay Leno is taking a big hit on his NBC contract for The Tonight Show. NBC has finally confirmed that his salary has been cut from $30 million to $15 million and that the entire show’s budget has been slashed by 20 percent. This comes on the heels of more than 20 staff layoffs and buzz about what kind of a deal Leno would come out with — or even whether Tonight, which has aired on NBC for more than 50 years, would survive much longer.

NBC’s Entertainment Chief, Robert Greenblatt, confirmed these numbers to the Wall Street Journal and also announced that Leno has extended his contract for another two years, until May 2014.

Greenblatt told WSJ that the Tonight Show cuts were partly due to the inflated budget the show operated under during Leno’s switch to primetime for a brief period of time in 2009 before moving back to late night in early 2010. In the two years since, the late-night show’s budget hadn’t returned to its earlier level. “All we did was bring it back down to pre-primetime levels,” Greenblatt told the Journal.

Where does this leave Leno after his contract ends?

Greenblatt declined to name a specific date for when or even if Leno might leave once his contract is up in 2014. Noting that Leno and CBS rival David Letterman have been facing off for nearly 20 years, Greenblatt said, “I’m sure there will be a day when these guys – Letterman and Leno – wake up and say ‘It’s time for us to exit gracefully.’”

Leno’s been vocal about his disappointment in NBC parent company Comcast’s decision to make budget cuts. He opened his show on Aug. 20 with, “Welcome to The Tonight Show, or as Comcast calls us, The Expendables.”

Leno went on to say, “We’ve consistently been No. 1 in the ratings, and if you know anything about our network, that kind of thing is frowned upon.”

Nonetheless, Leno e-mailed the Journal to say that he was on board with the leaner budget, despite last month’s on-air grumbling. “We are just going to work harder and more efficiently,” he wrote. “Our job is to be sure that none of this shows up on screen.”

Deadline initially reported the cuts on Aug. 17 that Comcast was making the layoffs despite ad sales remaining solid. The company singled out the show’s cost of about $2.3 million a week (amounting to about $100 million per year), arguing that Tonight‘s budget should be around $1.7 million per week instead.

Leno made the decision to take a pay cut in order to save some staffers from being let go, but the exact numbers of his new contract hadn’t been confirmed until now.

What do you think about Leno taking a cut for The Tonight Show? Sound off in our comments section below.

Howard Stern has maintained an uncharacteristically low profile as the face of gentility on this season’s America’s Got Talent.

But, as the end of this summer TV season draws near, the longtime provocative radio host — who calls himself the King of All Media — is pressing some familiar buttons.

NBC, which broadcasts AGT – Stern is in his first season on the show — has slapped the hands of the shock jock, for personally attacking one of NBC’s biggest stars, Jay Leno, who has hosted The Tonight Show for almost 20 years.

What did Howard say about Jay?

Stern called Leno a “spineless maggot” on his satellite radio show recently — after layoffs rattled through the Tonight Show staff this month.

“I got a threatening kind of comment from one of the executives,” Stern said on his radio show last week. “I said, ‘Do not tell me to not talk about Jay Leno. I will f—ing talk about Jay Leno for four hours if you tell me not to.’ I was done with Jay. Now I’m all fired up again. F— Jay!”

Leno and Stern have a long history of acrimony.

Stern has criticized Leno on his talk show for years — alleging numerous times that Leno steals ideas and staff from Stern’s show.

The most well-known defection was Stern Show favorite “Stuttering” John Melendez, who was hired as the Tonight Show announcer. He held that job for five years — before eventually being cut back to writing for Leno’s show.

Although Stern — who was fined more than $1 million by the Federal Communications Commissions earlier in his career for obscenity violations — is well known for R-rated humor, he has been surprisingly toned-down in this season of AGT.

Jay Leno had some unusually harsh words for his NBC bosses in his monologue on Monday night’s Tonight Show. But the public scolding was only fair; after all the network’s parent company, Comcast, had embarrassed him over the weekend with news that the show, still the most popular in late-night and a mainstay at NBC for more than 50 years, would undergo budget cuts so draconian that 20 staffers were losing their jobs and that Leno himself was taking a stiff pay cut to save the rest of his staff from the layoffs.

“Welcome to The Tonight Show, or as Comcast calls us, The Expendables.” he opened. He suggested that he didn’t understand why Comcast had targeted his show, saying, “We’ve consistently been No. 1 in the ratings, and if you know anything about our network, that kind of thing is frowned upon.” He also joked that he knew something was wrong when he woke up Friday to find an NBC peacock head in his bed, a la The Godfather.

Behind the laughs, however, the grim tidings backstage may have given him pause. Leno’s been around NBC long enough to know that when a late-night host and the network take their battle public, the result is usually ugly. Add to that today’s news that ABC is moving Jimmy Kimmel’s show to 11:35 to confront Leno directly, and viewers may well wonder: is this just the latest in a long line of late-night dustups, or is the very future of the 55-year-old franchise on the line?

What’s the Leno vs. Comcast battle really all about?

As initially reported at Deadline late Friday, Comcast was making the cuts and layoffs even though ad sales remain solid. The real problem, according to the Los Angeles Times, is that the show had been operating on a lavish budget, some $2.3 million a week, the same as it was during Leno’s failed primetime bid in 2009. The Times says the new budget will be more like $1.7 million per week. To save some staffers’ jobs, Leno agreed to take a pay cut from his estimated $30 million annual salary; the Times says he may now be earning as little as $20 million a year.

What’s curious about the Leno pay cut is that he could have taken an even bigger cut without having to sell off any of his famous vintage cars or to suffer any other infringement of his lavish lifestyle. That’s because, in 20 years, he’s never spent a penny of his NBC earnings; rather, he lives entirely off his lucrative weekend standup gigs in Las Vegas and around the country. Presumably, he could have taken an even bigger cut and saved the jobs of the 20 staffers who were let go.

But then, part of this could be an ego issue, as suggested by the wounded pride behind Leno’s monologue on Monday. If Comcast really needed to save money, it could have made the budget cuts discreetly, as CBS did a few years ago with The Late Show, with trims that included a pay cut for host David Letterman. Instead, the cuts became a big news story, big enough for Leno to respond at the opening of Monday’s show.

It could be that Comcast is throwing its weight around, making its presence known at the network it acquired in 2011. Every other star and writer at NBC has to be worried now about where the ax will fall next; after all, if the sacred Tonight and Leno aren’t safe, then who is?

Then again, NBC has a long history of airing its dirty laundry in public, especially when it comes to the battle over late-night turf. It’s a tradition going back 20 years, to when Leno elbowed Letterman out of the way in order to succeed the retiring Johnny Carson. It flared up agan in 2004, when NBC named Conan O’Brien the heir apparent to Tonight, essentially forcing Leno to agree to quit his perch in five years. And of course, there was open warfare in 2010 when Leno’s primetime show failed, and the network squeezed him back into late-night, forcing O’Brien to quit Tonight after just a few months on the job.

So this could all be a case of simple office politics. But what if it’s something worse? After all, the landscape is changing in late-night: it’s getting a lot more crowded. A few years ago, Leno had only CBS’ Letterman as a serious rival for the late-night throne. Now, he’ll also be facing off against Jimmy Kimmel on ABC, and not just after his own show has already been on for half an hour. According to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC will move JImmy Kimmel Live to 11:35, where it will directly confront Leno and Letterman. The shift, which will bump ABC’s Nightline to 12:35 fafter 33 years in the pre-midnight slot, is one ABC has been longing to make ever since Kimmel debuted a decade ago. That the network feels safe in making the move now attests not just to Kimmel’s growing popularity but also to the scent of blood in the water at NBC and CBS. Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that ABC announced the change, which doesn’t take place until January, just after NBC’s public display of weakness at Tonight.

Besides a newly vigorous Kimmel, Leno also faces challenges from O’Brien on TBS, Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central, Russell Brand on FX (only on Thursdays, but Thursday is still a big night for TV ad revenue because it’s when movie studios buy commercial time to promote their Friday releases), a syndicated show by old Leno rival Arsenio Hall (debuting next year), and Chelsea Handler on Comcast’s own E! channel. Many of these outlets weren’t even players in the late-night arena a few years ago. Now, they’re all vying for the same ad  dollars. Even if Leno remains the most popular guy on the field, the spoils of victory will be a lot more meager.

Leno seems to have been willing, over the years, to go along with every humiliating thing NBC management has ever asked of him (from making nice with local station managers to the six-year Conan debacle), biding his time because he seems to know he’ll still be there in the long run, while suits and competitors come and go. He’s a survivor. But the show itself may not be, and given the squeeze between outside competitors and his network’s own management, the Tonight Show may not survive in a form any of its long time viewers would recognize.

Watch Leno rip his parent company during Monday’s monologue.

Kelsey Grammer won a Golden Globe earlier this year for his volcanic lead performance on the premium cable drama Boss. So why didn’t the Emmy voters even nominate him?

Well, it could be that they found other actors’ work more compelling, or that few voters watch the Starz premium-subscription cable channel, where Boss begins its second season on Aug. 17. But Grammer had another possible reason in mind. Talking to Jay Leno on The Tonight Show on Wednesday, Grammer suggested he lost out because “I’m a declared out of the closet Republican in Hollywood.”

It’s conventional wisdom that liberals outnumber conservatives in Hollywood. Still, Grammer’s claim that he’s been victimized because of his politics is a tough sell; even he seemed to walk it back moments later. Yet he’s not the only right-leaning star who feels persecuted (that is, passed over for jobs or snubbed for prizes), and one prominent awards expert believes Grammer’s complaint has some merit.

How valid are Hollywood conservatives’ complaints of political persecution?

There are certainly other possible reasons for Grammer’s Emmy snub. For one, the competition was tough this year for the Best Dramatic Actor category. It’s hard to argue that such heavyweights as Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston, Boardwalk Empire’s Steve Buscemi, Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville, Dexter’s Michael C. Hall, and Homeland’s Damian Lewis are undeserving nominees. Or it could be that far fewer people watch the premium-subscription Starz than watch the outlets that yielded this year’s nominees: free-TV channel PBS, basic-cable’s AMC, or even fellow premium channels HBO and Showtime.

The notion that Hollywood Republicans have difficulty finding work doesn’t seem to hold water. Clint Eastwood is always busy. So are Adam Sandler, Bruce Willis, and Vince Vaughn. Also Tom Selleck, Patricia Heaton, and Jon Voight, all of whom are outspoken about their politics. Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson are never far from the spotlight. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger, who took a decade-long sabbatical to serve as California’s Republican governor, who was targeted for months of ridicule and contempt during his paternity scandal last year, and who is now a bit long in the tooth for the action roles of his heyday, is having no trouble finding work. And that’s a far from exhaustive list.

Grammer’s claim of Emmy bias against him personally also has some factual problems. For one, he already has five Emmy wins out of 14 nominations. He claimed that all those happened before he became an outspoken conservative activist in 2006. But that’s not true. As Entertainment Weekly‘s Jeff Labrecque pointed out, conservative magazine The American Spectator revealed Grammer’s politics as far back as 2001 when it listed him as a prominent donor to President George W. Bush’s campaign. I myself interviewed Grammer in early 2006, before his most recent Emmy win, and he spoke candidly and casually about his politics then.

Grammer himself seemed to cast doubt on the idea that Emmy voters would sour on him solely because of his politics, telling Leno, “Do I believe it’s possible that some young person, young voting actor — or even older voting member for the Emmys — would sit there and go, ‘Yeah, that’s a great performance, but ooooooooooooh, I just hate everything he stands for?’ I don’t believe that’s possible.” Sure, he was being sarcastic, but still, the way he framed the idea made it sound far-fetched.

Nonetheless, that may actually be the way some Emmy voters choose, said awards expert and GoldDerby.com editor Tom O’Neil. “Quite frankly, I think Kelsey is partly right,” O’Neil told Celebuzz. “When Hollywooders vote for showbiz awards, they often express how much they like a person, and that can be a problem if a nominee has politics repugnant to the voter.

“That’s not the whole story, of course,” O’Neil added. “Being on Starz, Boss is not as widely viewed as Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Homeland, so that was certainly a factor too, but don’t discount Kelsey’s theory entirely. Look at The Middle, which TV critics like Robert Bianco of USA Today adore. It gets snubbed by Emmy voters in part because of Patricia Heaton is passionate conservative Republican. Yes, Heaton and Grammer won lots of Emmys in the old days, but that was back when their political views weren’t being skewered, fried, and mocked daily in the blogosphere.”

Complaints of persecution among conservatives in Hollywood are nothing new. The late activist/blogger Andrew Breitbart built a whole website, BigHollywood.com, around such complaints. Stephen Baldwin, who actually did experience a precipitous career fall over the last decade, blamed his poor prospects on his outspokenness about his conservative politics and his born-again Christianity. He even set up a website, with a PayPal donations page, to kickstart his career after his 2010 bankruptcy filing, in part to show liberal Hollywood that he wouldn’t be squelched or ignored.

Going back even further, in 1996, I interviewed Charlton Heston, who told me that contemporary Hollywood conservatives feared being shut out of jobs and awards if they were open about their politics. “There are more conservatives in the closet in Hollywood than there are homosexuals,” he told me, using a line that he’d repeated often. I told him I found that idea disingenuous; after all, he’d been in Hollywood during the 1950s blacklist, when it was liberals who were persecuted, with the sanction of the federal government, and when even suspected ties to Communism could get people in show business fired or jailed. But in 1996, surely there was no organized effort by liberals, backed by law, to cost conservatives their careers and their freedom, I suggested to Heston. Well, he said, it still felt that way to him.

No doubt Grammer feels the same frustration Heston did, even if the evidence to support his claim is thin. After all, political divisions, fueled by a 24-hour news cycle on cable and the Web that demands a constant stream of opinionated commentary, seem more pronounced and bitter than ever. Everyone is looking for a scapegoat to punish. Grammer is certainly looking, but maybe O’Neil is right, and Emmy voters are looking, too.

Watch Kelsey’s appearance on Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

Ryan Lochte has been all over Hollywood recently. He’s taken a dip in the pool with Joan Rivers for E!’s Fashion Police, filmed a guest spot on 90210 and even attended The Expendables premiere.

On Thursday, he sat down with Jay Leno on The Tonight Show for an interview where they talked about everything from Michael Phelps to dating to his reality show offers. Things started off on a hilarious note when Hit and Run and House of Lies star, Kristen Bell (Leno’s previous guest) picked up his 5 medals and proceeded to wear them all interview, after exclaiming “Alright I’ll put them on. Geez, everybody get off my back.”

So what did Lochte have to say to Leno? 

On dating: Ladies, pay attention! Lochte declared himself a single man and confirmed to no one’s surprise that he’s not a virgin. Leno also showed a picture of Ryan’s best friend — his dog, Carter — to which he said, “Me and him sit on the couch all the time and watch action-packed movies.”

On The Bachelor: “If they asked me to do The Bachelor, I’d consider it but I’d talk with my family first.”

On Dancing With the Stars: “I did, in college I took dancing class, I got an ‘A’ so I think I’d be pretty good at it,” to which Bell replied, “Do you know how much training it takes to be on Dancing with the Stars Ryan?” Lochte quipped back with, “Do you know how much training you have to do to swim?”

On if he’s happy that Phelps is retiring: “You know what, no, I’m not. I’ve been racing against him for eight years, and every time I go up on the blocks he’s right there next to me so I’m used to it. He’s one of the hardest racers I’ve ever had to come across so I’m definitely going to miss him.” Lochte also mentioned that the two are friends and “kind of leave everything in the pool.”

On how big his “peeing in the pool” story got: “I didn’t think it was going to be that big but I mean – We’re in the pool for six hours straight – we’re not gonna raise our hand in the middle of a workout and say, ‘Hey Coach can I go to the bathroom.’ ” Bell chimed in as well adding, “Cause no one else on earth has ever peed in a pool!”

On his patriotic grill: “It was a big controversy. I put ‘em in right before I was walking out and they said we’ll strip you from your gold medal if you go out there.” Bell then joked she would need the name and number of whomever said that.

Watch one part of the hilarious interview above. You can watch the other part here.

Would you like to see Ryan on a reality show? Tell us in the comments below!

Though Kim Kardashian has kept pretty mum about her split from husband Kris Humphries, her sister Khloe Kardashian has been a bit more vocal about her ex brother-in-law’s character. 

While promoting her new season of Khloe & Lamar on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, the reality star was asked to comment about Kris and she revealed her first impression of the NBA star. She recalled: 

“When I met Kris the very first time, I had just landed in New York and it was late at night … and he was in Kourtney and Kim’s suite. … “And I went in there to say, ‘Hi’ because Kim was like, ‘Oh, I wanna introduce you to my friend.’ They’d just started dating. And you know, one of the first things that came out of his mouth — like within the first five minutes — was, ‘So, how much you getting paid to fake your marriage? Like how long are you gonna keep this up for?”

She added: 

“I was like, ‘Dude, I don’t know if you’re trying to make me laugh . . .[He] just rubbed me the wrong way. … So, ever since then, I had a very defensive wall brought up.”

Kim filed for divorce from the New Jersey Nets player just 72 days after her marriage. Meanwhile, Khloe and Lamar are still going strong and have relocated to Dallas for Lamar’s basketball career. Their reality show airs Sunday nights on E!

What do you think of Khloe’s comments? Should she have commented on her sister’s former husband? Sound off in the comments. 

Despite the back and forth over weather Chris Colfer, Lea Michele and Cory Monteith are leaving Glee after season three, Chris told Jay Leno on Wednesday’s Tonight Show that there’s nothing to worry about. Sitting next to his fellow Gleek, Kristen Chenoweth, he addressed the Glee rumors, saying: 

“The truth is people forget that Glee is still a TV show. We just have to survive season three first before we can worry about it.”

As for wether he’s leaving the hit FOX show, Chris answered: 

“No, no, I’m staying.”

Check out the video to hear how Chris put himself into the hospital after a dancing scene gone wrong! The cast of Glee returns to TV on Sept. 20.