Celebrity Health

The UK's first major outdoor concert is offering a glimpse of what's likely to become the norm -- venues sectioned off into small groups, enabling fans to rock without rolling the COVID-19 dice.

Sam Fender performed for 2,500 people at the Virgin Money Unity Arena in Newcastle Tuesday night ... marking what's believed to be the country's first socially distanced entertainment event since coronavirus restrictions began.

Take a look ... the outdoor venue's setup includes 500 separate seating sections with metal barricades, which are for groups of 5 to attend and watch the show.

Tickets reportedly sold out immediately, and photos and videos from Fender's concert show the crowd cheering and singing along ... responsibly from their own sections.

This, of course, is in stark contrast to carefree concertgoers in the U.S. packing venues to see Chase Rice in Tennessee, The Chainsmokers in New York, an EDM party at Lake of the Ozarks and most recently ... to watch Tech N9ne in Missouri and Smash Mouth at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross III has left training camp to take care of his son ... after his 3-year-old and the child's mother both tested positive for coronavirus.

Ross did not attend practice on Tuesday as he flew back to Los Angeles to help care for his family, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The timing isn't exactly ideal for the 24-year-old speedster --he's been hoping to have a breakout season with Cincy after 3 injury-plagued years in the league.

Ross was selected with the 9th overall pick in the 2017 Draft after flashing some insane speed. He's shown real potential on the field but injuries have been a problem.

He will now be placed on the Bengals' Reserve/COVID-19 list ... and a return date has not been set.

Ross frequently posts on social media his son, Juju -- and raves about how much he loves being a father.

A maskless Tennessee State Trooper went on a major power trip, going face-to-face with a man not accused of any crime ... before allegedly tearing away the man's face covering.

Andrew Golden says this went down Monday near the Tennessee State Capitol building as he was recording state troopers who had pulled over a motorist. He says he kept a safe distance away on a public sidewalk before State Trooper Harvey Briggs -- who was not involved in the traffic stop -- threw a fit.

Check out the video ... Briggs, who again is NOT wearing a mask, warns Golden about cursing in front of him. Golden, who kept recording, asked Briggs "why his hand is on his gun" ... and the cop said, "Because that’s the way it always is."

Golden claims Briggs then stepped on his foot -- all without wearing a mask, mind you -- and then, suddenly, ripped Golden's mask off his face. He immediately called out Briggs for it ... and you hear Briggs deny it as he walked away saying, "I'm tired of you people making stuff up."

Tennessee's Dept. of Safety and Homeland Security tells us it's "in the process of reviewing the matter."

A hotel worker in Brazil earned office bragging rights when he not only warded off an insane attacking customer -- he sent the guy running off with his tail between his legs.

The incident reportedly went down in the city of Varginha, and allegedly started because the guest -- who WAS wearing a face mask -- refused to allow a COVID temperature scan as he checked in.

As you can see in the security footage ... the hotel employee's holding the scanner at the beginning, but sets it down before an argument erupts.

It looked like the customer was gonna walk out, but then he stormed back in and violently swung a chain holder at the worker ... then went behind the counter for some hand-to-hand combat. Big mistake!!!

The hotel worker immediately squared up to defend himself against the guest's punches and unloaded a series of blows himself. He even gets the guy to the ground and continues to pummel him, before the guest was able to retreat.

Cleveland Indians pitcher Adam Plutko just roasted the hell out of his teammates Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac for partying amid the pandemic ... saying straight up, "They hurt us bad."

"They lied to us," Plutko told reporters after the Tribe's loss to the Cubs on Tuesday. "They sat here in front of you guys and publicly said things that they didn't follow through on."

"It's gonna be up to them. It really is. I'll let them sit here and tell you how they're gonna earn their trust back."

As we previously reported, both Plesac and Clevinger were busted for leaving their team hotel over the weekend to hang out with friends in the Windy City.

It's obviously a huge no-no ... MLB teams like the Marlins and Cardinals have had their seasons completely derailed by COVID outbreaks, so unpermitted meetups are seriously frowned upon.

Both Clevinger and Plesac were placed on the restricted list for their actions and forced into quarantine ... and Plutko -- who had to fill in for Clevinger on the mound Tuesday -- was pretty pissed over it all.

"I don't need to put words in their mouths," the 28-year-old said. "The term that I continue to hear -- and excuse my language -- is 'grown-ass man.'"

"So those grown-ass men can sit here and tell you guys what happened and tell you guys what they're gonna do to fix it. I don't need to do that for them."

WARNING: THIS IS GNARLY!!!!

UFC fighter Joe Pyfer's elbow bent in a way no person's arm EVER should in his fight with Dustin Stoltzfus on Tuesday ... and it was so gruesome, Dana White nearly threw up ringside!

The disturbing injury all went down at DW’s Contender Series 28 ... where late in the 1st round of the Stoltzfus-Pyfer tilt, Pyfer was tossed and extended his arm to break his fall.

The problem? As Stoltzfus' weight crashed down on Pyfer ... his arm exploded outward -- dislocating at the elbow!!!

Here's the raw video -- but warning -- it's GROSS!

The fight was immediately waived off ... and the injury was so bad, when cameras cut to White, he was squirming in his seat and holding himself back from hurling!!!

Dana later commented ... saying, "I’m glad [Pyfer] only dislocated his elbow and didn’t break it on tonight’s Contender Series."

Despite the horrifying scene ... Pyfer took it all in stride -- he actually appeared to apologize to Stoltzfus and said straight up, "This sucks, bro."

YA THINK!?

Pyfer posted footage of himself in the hospital afterward vowing to come back.

L.A. Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn revealed he was diagnosed with COVID earlier this year -- and only got tested after hearing about a golfer with similar symptoms.

51-year-old Lynn spelled it out on the season premiere of HBO's "Hard Knocks" -- and though he didn't specifically say WHEN he tested positive.

"I can't promise you you're not going to get infected," Lynn told his players during a video chat meeting ... "I got infected."

He continued, "What I want to do is limit your exposure, but then when that whistle blows, let's go kick somebody's ass and play some football."

Later in the show, Lynn was asked about his symptoms -- and how he realized he had coronavirus.

"I’m coughing a little bit, then my body started aching a little bit. I couldn’t get comfortable in my bed," Lynn said.

Lynn then explained that he was watching a golf match and saw that a golfer had pulled out after experiencing similar symptoms -- and laster tested positive for COVID.

"I said, 'sh*t. My body kinda felt like that.'"

"If I hadn't been watching the golfing game and saw that golfer complain about backaches and soreness ... I never even would have gotten tested And I would have had this and never even known it. And probably got people infected."

Lynn says he was more worried about being branded an "outcast" than batting the virus itself.

"All the sudden, I'm the problem. I'm used to fixing the problem, now I'm the problem."

Lynn was eventually cleared to return to work -- where his players are staff are tested for COVID every day.

The Cleveland Indians were so upset with Zach Plesac for leaving the team hotel in Chicago to hang with friends during a road series with the White Sox, THEY WOULDN'T LET HIM BACK ON THE TEAM JET!

The 25-year-old right-hander KNEW he wasn't supposed to leave the team hotel without specific permission (per team and MLB protocol) due to the COVID pandemic, but he went out Saturday night anyway.

The team found out and took immediate action.

FYI, Plesac grew up in Crown Point, Indiana -- roughly 45 miles from Chicago.

Plesac was ordered to be tested immediately -- and then the team sent him back to CLE by car service Sunday instead of joining the rest of the team on the team jet.

The flight is usually 90 mins The drive is a little over 5 hours.

Plesac was also placed on a mandatory 72-hour quarantine -- and will have to undergo more testing before he'll be allowed to rejoin the team.

"I realize I made a poor choice to leave the hotel, which broke protocols and could have endangered other people," Plesac said in a statement,

"I understand that in these times of uncertainty, I need to be more vigilant and responsible, and I am determined to earn my teammates' forgiveness and get back to work."

Plesac's Indians teammate, Shane Bieber, also weighed in ...

"We love Zach, we support him, but he screwed up. We're going to handle this in-house, and we'll see where it goes from here."

Major League Baseball is trying to crack down on protocol violators in the wake of multiple outbreaks affecting the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.

Be smart, people.

Akon is turning his dreams into reality -- building a futuristic city in Senegal, which he says will resemble Wakanda from "Black Panther" ... in more ways than just its futuristic appearance.

The singer, who hails from Senegal, joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday for an update on "Akon City," the $6 BILLION cryptocurrency-run city which recently broke ground in his West African home country.

Akon told us why the city's centerpiece will be a 5,000-bed state of the art hospital, which he says will cost about $1 BILLION alone to build. The hospital is part of the first phase of construction, which Akon says will also include residences, hotels, schools, police and fire stations, an airstrip, a mall and all the other hallmarks of modern-day cities.

Looking at renderings for Akon City, it's easy to see why some folks think Akon's building a real-life Wakanda ... and he tells us how "Black Panther" actually helped him sell the project to investors and partners.

Akon is expecting phase 1 to be completed by 2023, and when the city's completed in 2029 it will run entirely on, you guessed it -- akoin cryptocurrency.

Ever had a cotton swab shoved up your nose!? IT SUCKS!

Just ask L.A. Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward -- who had some major pre-swab jitters before his COVID test at the Chargers facility ... and the footage is great!

NFL players are getting tested everyday during the first 2 weeks of training camp -- which opened on July 28.

And, judging by this footage of Hayward captured by HBO's "Hard Knocks" ... there's just no getting used to it!

Both the L..A Chargers and the L.A. Rams are featured on the docuseries this season -- a big change for the show which has traditionally only chronicled one team's journey into the regular season.

The COVID pandemic will play a major role in the show based on clips released by HBO.

One scene shows how Chargers coaches are no longer having players gather together to "break it down" after a practice session.

Instead, players are instructed to chant, "1, 2, 3 ... Chargers!" while socially distancing from each other during drills.

Weird ... considering football is a collision sport that requires players to smother each other and they'll presumably work on tackling and/or close-quarter drills at some point during practices.

But hey, appreciate the effort.

Kanye West is reminiscing about the good 'ol days -- when he was tight with Jay-Z and Kris Jenner -- and, for now, he's making moves to make nice.

Ye started putting his feelings out there late Monday night when he tweeted a seemingly heartfelt message about Hova -- "Miss my bro ... real talk." Kanye attached a screengrab of rap's former dynamic duo performing "Otis" at the 2011 VMAs.

He was still feeling those bridge-building good vibes Tuesday morning when he said, "My mother in law Kris Jenner ... makes the best music playlist."

As you know from Ye's Twitter rants over the last few weeks, he's taken direct shots at Kris ... such as referring to her as "Kris Jong-Un" and accusing her of peddling Kim's sex tape.

As we reported ... Kanye said last month he wants Jay-Z as his running mate ... even though he'd already picked Wyoming preacher Michelle Tidball as his running mate. No need to worry, if Jay accepts the VP invite -- highly doubtful, though -- Kanye says Tidball told him she'd be down to take another position in his cabinet.

Unclear what's triggered peaceful Ye, but his recent family time with Kim and their 4 kids might be a good indicator. The fam took off from the Dominican Republic over the weekend to go glamping.

Raymond G. Allen, Sr., a character actor who played Uncle Woody in "Sanford and Son," has died.

Allen's family tells TMZ, he was in a long-term facility in California when he was found unresponsive early Monday morning. EMT's tried reviving him, to no avail.

The family says Allen died as a result of respiratory issues, but not COVID-related.

Allen was a working character actor, who also played Ned the Wino on "Good Times."

"Good Times" was a huge hit in the '70s, and Allen's character was hilarious. In "Sanford and Son" he played Aunt Esther's husband who never turned down a drink.

Allen also had roles in "Starsky and Hutch," playing a mechanic -- Merle the Earl.

And, there were many guest appearances, including "The Jeffersons," "What's Happening!!" and "The Love Boat,"

Allen had been sick for a while ... he was in a health care facility since 2016 ... where he had bouts with pneumonia.

Raymond Allen is survived by 2 children.

He was 91.

Major League Baseball is considering ripping a page from the NHL's playbook -- and instituting a 3-city hub system for the playoffs, this according to ESPN.

As we previously reported, the NHL claims its 2-city hub system is VERY successful so far -- with zero new COVID cases reported in the past week.

FYI, the NHL has split up the league into 2 hub cities -- one in Edmonton and the other in Toronto.

Each team has an entire floor at a designated hotel -- and all personnel are restricted to only visiting certain approved locations ... like workout facilities, restaurants, etc.

Everyone in the "bubbles" are tested for COVID on a daily basis.

Now, MLB is so impressed, they've had "preliminary discussions" about implementing the same system for the playoffs following a series of outbreaks with at least 2 MLB teams.

The league would need 3 cities to accommodate the 16-team playoff format, according to Jeff Passan.

Passan says Southern California, Chicago and NYC would make the most sense for hub cities because of issues like weather, stadium availability and lodging.

Another "American Idol" alum is going to fill Simon Cowell's shoes while he recovers from his broken back -- Kelly Clarkson's stepping into the spotlight for "America's Got Talent."

Kelly herself made the announcement Monday with a mock 'AGT' memo sent to "All Staff." It reads, "My friend, Simon Cowell, is doing better now but was in an accident and won’t be able to make Tuesday and Wednesday’s live shows for AGT, but no worries America, someone far wiser, cooler, and hotter is taking his seat!"

It continues, "The unbelievably amazing Kelly Clarkson 😜 You’re welcome in advance!" Kelly will tape Tuesday and Wednesday's live shows alongside Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum. Sounds like it'll just be 2 days until Simon's able to return to his judge's chair.

As we reported ... the record label exec broke his back this past weekend while riding an e-bike out in Malibu. He underwent a 6-hour surgery and is now recuperating. It's unclear if he'll miss any more live shows -- but if he does, his seat will be in good hands if they have KC fill in again.

Smash Mouth's proving they might still be All-Stars -- 2 decades after their biggest hit -- but based on their appearance at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally ... they're not exactly the sharpest tools in the shed.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of rowdy and excited bikers threw coronavirus caution to the wind Sunday night in South Dakota, and packed an outdoor venue to watch Smash Mouth perform.

The band's frontman, Steve Harwell, told the crowd at one point ... "We’re all here together tonight! F**k that COVID s**t!"

Though the venue, The Buffalo Chip, was reportedly at half capacity -- and Smash Mouth's manager says the promoter did a "fantastic job" with COVID-19 protocol -- video of the event seems to tell a different story.

As you can see ... attendees didn't seem to give a damn about wearing masks or practicing physical distancing as they prepared to take in Smash Mouth's hit tracks such as "Walkin' on the Sun" and "Can't Get Enough of You Baby."

Of course, the same carefree and reckless behavior went down Saturday night as Sturgis folks packed the Full Throttle Saloon as well.

The wild black bear caught on camera taking a big ol' up-close whiff of a woman in a nature park has paid a dear price -- he's been captured and castrated.

The juvenile animal underwent the painful procedure after authorities deemed him a threat to visitors at the Chipinque Ecological Park in Mexico, where the bear was known for his close encounters with humans.

As we reported ... video last month showed the curious bear getting on its hind legs to sniff a woman's hair as she calmly took a selfie. The bear also put a paw on her and seemed to nuzzle her.

Folks who live near the park reportedly call the animal "the friendly bear" ... and officials are coming under fire for their decision to capture and castrate the young bear, which weighs 212 pounds.

The black bear was captured by officials from Mexico's federal environmental protection agency while sleeping in someone's backyard. Not the best way to wake up from a nap.