NBC

Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb can't seem to decide who has more word in choosing a replacement for KLG on the "Today" show ... but it's definitely one of them.

We got the NBC morning show anchors Wednesday in NYC, the day after Kathie announced she's leaving "Today" at the end of her 11th year. Our photog asked who's in line to fill Kathie's shoes, and she enthusiastically says, "Whoever Hoda wants, Hoda gets."

For her part, Hoda played it coy, saying ... "This is all about KLG." Kathie immediately refutes that, though, but Hoda insists it is. It's like an Abbot and Costello bit here, really.

Our camera guy throws out Jenna Bush Hager as a possibility -- who's said to be in the running -- but Hoda and Kathie are definitely playing this close to the vest.

Kathie Lee Gifford is saying sayonara to the "Today" show ... after she reaches the 11-year mark.

Kathie Lee unveiled her play Tuesday on the show, and she and her co-host, Hoda Kotb, immediately dissolved into tears.

Kathie didn't say why she's leaving, but it's gotta be a blow to NBC. The 10 AM hour of "Today" was one of the most profitable shows for the network. It was doing consistently well, although it suffered a drop in rating during the Megyn Kelly tenure.

It's pretty remarkable ... Kathie was a phenom with Regis Philbin on their morning show, "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee." After leaving that show in 2000, she took a break. It's almost impossible to recreate magic in a bottle, and there were doubters when she went to "Today," but she proved them wrong ... really wrong.

Her last day will be her 11-year anniversary on April 7, 2019 -- and she is leaving to pursue music, movie and TV opportunities.

Kathie started her career as the "singing girl" on "Name that Tune" in 1977.

The good news for the "Deal or No Deal" contestant who gambled and lost BIG -- his wife's not divorcing him ... however, he's fully in his mom's doghouse for pissing away more than $300k.

ICYMI ... Luis Green had a chance to walk away with $333k during the show's holiday special Monday night. At that point, he had already passed up eight different bank offers. He stuck to his guns and went for broke ... and that's what he got. Damn near broke -- just $5, shocking everyone including Howie Mandel.

What the hell was he thinking? Luis told us he went full bore because he wanted to use the money to pay his mom's medical bills, pay off his mortgage. He also wanted to hand over some of the cash to his wife's parents.

Alec Baldwin must be feeling confident about the outcome of his attempted assault case in NYC ... 'cause he played it for laughs -- while playing President Trump -- on 'SNL.'

The opening skit was about Trump's anger over the Mueller probe and his ex-attorney Michael Cohen flipping. As Alec/Donald put it ... "God, I haven't been this upset since I flipped out over that parking space."

This was Alec's first appearance on the show since he got busted last month for trying to punch a guy who jacked his parking spot. Breaking character to poke fun at the case could be seen as a risky move.

Judges typically don't react well to that sort of thing -- however, the stakes ain't exactly high here. Alec's facing one count of attempted assault in the third degree, and one count of harassment in the second degree -- a misdemeanor and a ticket, basically.

Why not have some fun with it, right?

'SNL' also paid tribute to late President George H.W. Bush during the Weekend Update segment.

They pulled out some of Dana Carvey's best impressions of the 41st Prez -- including that memorable moment when they got the real Bush to challenge Carvey.

Something about Olga Safari's got us going wild ... can't quite put our finger on it, but we'll keep looking into it. Promise.

The "Deal or No Deal" model sure looks like a million bucks wearing this itsy-bitsy bikini at the beach in Santa Monica. If you were a fan of the NBC show ... Olga's gonna be front and center when the show returns on CNBC next month ... as the model carrying case No. 14.

Olga's already our favorite briefcase model. Anyone going the extra mile to turn bikini season into a year-round sport has our undivided attention.

When Olga's not modeling, she's also an aspiring actress who has dabbled in a few commercials ... for Nissan and Ulta Beauty. BTW ... when she auditioned for "Deal or No Deal", producers wondered if she had a weird talent. She does ... and it involves her tongue.

Pete Davidson addressed his controversy head-on last night by apologizing to Dan Crenshaw in person and on 'SNL.'

The war veteran and Republican politician appeared Weekend Update with Pete Davidson where Pete sincerely apologized to Dan, and Dan accepted, but not before giving Pete a taste of his own medicine. The icing on the cake is when Dan's phone rings, you have to hear the ringtone.

When the jokes settled, Dan used the moment to urge Americans to come together and forgive. A touching moment during these super-divisive times.

8:45 AM PT -- Sources close to the couple tell us Pete won't reference the breakup when 'SNL' airs, and the reason is ... the exes have an agreement to stay silent.

We're told the split was mutual, and Ariana and Pete verbally agreed neither would talk about it publicly -- but she was already feeling betrayed because Pete joked about it during a standup routine last week at a charity event. We're told it got worse when Ariana saw the promo.

Our sources say Pete got word Ariana was upset, and decided he didn't want to go through with the skit he'd written for this week's 'SNL' -- they had an agreement, after all. He discussed it with executive producer, Lorne Michaels ... and he signed off on pumping the brakes.

As for the promo airing? We're told it was already in the works, and it was too late to pull it.

The breakup ain't funny to Ariana Grande anymore -- she came for Pete Davidson on social media Thursday night after he joked about their breakup ... and it's clear, this ain't no conscious uncoupling.

Davidson cracked a joke about the fact he's single during a promo for this weekend's 'SNL' -- asking musical guest Maggie Rogers if she wanted to get married.

Our sources connected to 'SNL' say Pete had been in good spirits while prepping for the show -- and was open to making jokes about jumping into relationships too soon.

So, that's what happened during the promo ... but Ariana Grande wasn't laughing -- she tweeted a shot at her ex.

"For somebody who claims to hate relevancy u sure love clinging to it huh. thank u. next."

She later deleted the tweet.

Pete previously joked about their engagement when 'SNL' came back from summer recess -- but that was when he and Grande were still together.

The jokes were self-deprecating about how Grande is the breadwinner in the relationship -- and he was just lucky to be there.

But, they broke up last month, and clearly they ain't on good terms.

No word if Davidson planned on addressing the split on this week's show -- but if he was, ya gotta believe he's rethinking the plan now.

Originally Published -- 1:00 AM PDT

Megyn Kelly has told NBC she will not spill whatever beans she has on the network and the people who work there ... but at a hefty price.

Sources familiar with the negotiations tell TMZ ... NBC offered Kelly $38 million, which the network says represents the balance owed on her contract. As we reported, Megyn was pulling in around $25 mil a year and she was one year and some change into the 3-year deal.

We're told NBC attached a pretty standard string ... a confidentiality agreement. Her lawyer said his client would sign on the dotted line ... for an additional $10 million. We're told NBC told the attorney to pound sand.

NBC definitely has cause for concern ... Kelly wrote a book, "Settle for More," in which she targeted Fox News Channel, and she has been critical of the network since her exit.

We're told settlement negotiations are ongoing.

The Daily Mail first reported the $10 million demand.

Al Roker got the last laugh in the Megyn Kelly disaster because sources connected with the network tell us, Roker will be back in the anchor chair during the 9 AM hour ... after being replaced by Kelly last year.

Our network sources tell us, the network will go back to its tried-and-true formula of using existing NBC talent for the 9 AM show, and Roker will be a big part of that.

Al had the 9 AM hour, but last year he was taken off the show ... to make room for Megyn later that year. We're told Al was bitterly disappointed but still gracious.

Her ratings have been a disaster, affecting the show that followed with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford.

As you know ... Roker called out Kelly for her blackface comment ... something that was a factor in Kelly's exit.

The Monday show was anchored by Hoda and Al ... Hoda said today begins "a new chapter." It's unclear if Hoda will also be part of the 9 AM team. It seems unlikely, because she's already on from 7 - 9 AM and again at 10 AM.

Megyn's exit deal is being negotiated. TMZ broke the story ... she's asking for $50 million to settle up. She was pulling in $25 million a year.

Megyn Kelly's spectacular fall at NBC will NOT affect the movie about Roger Ailes that features her ... because we're told her character as written is "very flawed" and consistent with what people know.

Sources connected with the production tell TMZ, Megyn's character, played by Charlize Theron, will not be rewritten in the wake of her racially insensitive comment that ultimately did her in at the Peacock network.

We've spoken with people who have read the script and they say Megyn is not portrayed as a hero in the story of FNC honcho Roger Ailes and a pattern of sexual harassment that went on for years.

We're told the script for the movie -- with the working title, "Fair and Balanced," showcases Megyn as "ambitious, hard-working and not highly intelligent." It's unclear from the script if her character is self-serving or righteous.

Kelly has said, during her tenure at FNC, Ailes tried to physically grab her and make out with her. She has said Ailes made lewd jokes and sexually suggestive comments to her. She says after repeatedly rebuffing his overtures, he asked her when her contract was up. Kelly never gave in and kept her job.

We're told Kelly's character does not come off as "an Erin Brockovich." She doesn't come off as a hero or, as one person who read the script said, "It's not like you say, 'Oh my God I love that girl!'"

Megyn Kelly is a day away from settling with NBC, and we've just learned something shocking -- NBC was paying her $25 million a year and the network may end up settling for close to $50 MILLION.

Sources familiar with the negotiations tell TMZ ... Megyn's deal is 3 years firm, and she has around 1 year and 10 months to go. We're told her lawyer, Bryan Freedman, is going to have a call with NBC brass tomorrow and demand the network pay her full remaining salary, or face a lawsuit.

We're told Freedman's case is that Kelly was targeted early on after she made critical remarks about Matt Lauer on her show after he was fired for sexual harassment. Lauer was well-liked at NBC, and the staff and talent became royally pissed off at Kelly because they felt she was attacking Lauer "with glee."

Our sources say Kelly believes her comments about NBC News Chairman Andy Lack pissed off Lack and other brass, and they had it out for her.

As for ending the relationship over her blackface comment, Kelly and Freedman will argue she was treated with gross unfairness, pointing to a town hall meeting Wednesday where NBC talent, including Al Roker, blasted her and she wasn't invited to defend herself.

They also point to other NBC talent that got a pass for insensitive comments, such as Joy Reid, who made homophobic comments in a blog before she started at MSNBC, but was never punished.

And, TMZ can confirm, attorney Freedman sent an email to NBC News Prez Noah Oppenheim saying he wanted a face-to-face to discuss a settlement and wanted Ronan Farrow in the room. Farrow is about to release a book highly critical of NBC and the way it handled his Harvey Weinstein reporting. NBC shut down that request.

We're told the showdown between NBC brass and Freedman will go down Friday during a phone call.

There are a lot of pissed off NBC staffers, who are watching the network cut costs left and right, yet they made a $75 million deal with Kelly to do 2 shows, neither of which showcased the skill set that made her famous.

Megyn Kelly will NOT be back on the air at NBC after her blackface remark, barring a major miracle ... TMZ has confirmed.

"Megyn Kelly Today" aired a repeat on Thursday morning, 2 days after she uncorked the absurd comment that it's okay to wear blackface at Halloween. Sources connected to the network tell us unless a Hail Mary is thrown and caught at some point today ... Megyn is gone for good.

The split with NBC comes the day after Megyn's emotional on-air apology where she insisted she'd learned a lesson due to the backlash.

The mea culpa was clearly a case of too little, too late for the Peacock ... which, to be honest, had issues with Megyn's show even before the blackface blowup. Translation: the ratings were terrible. They'd dropped more than 30 percent, year-to-year, in her time slot.

Another NBC source tells us it didn't help that Megyn's co-workers "hated" being on air with her. One specific example was during coverage of Dr. Christine Ford's testimony -- Megyn was part of the panel with Savannah Guthrie, Lester Holt, Andrea Mitchell and Chuck Todd.

We're told the other anchors and correspondents felt Megyn was way too bluntly conservative on air. Andrea eventually left the panel, mid-coverage.

The divorce -- which, we're told is more mutual than a firing -- isn't shaping up to be quick and easy. Daily Mail, which first reported Megyn's ouster, says she's hired high-powered attorney Bryan Freedman who's scheduled a sit-down with NBC ... no doubt to discuss the terms of her departure. She has a $69 million contract.

Megyn's talent agency, CAA, also dropped her.

NBC's already said it's airing another repeat of her show on Friday.

As for what happens Monday? Stay tuned ...

Melissa Rivers hopes Megyn Kelly's mea culpa for her idiotic blackface comment was genuine -- but she's reluctant enough to check in with an African-American friend before weighing in on the apology.

We got Melissa Wednesday at LAX, the day after she was sitting right next to Megyn when she uncorked her remark that it was fine to wear blackface for Halloween. So, you've gotta see Melissa's reaction when we asked about Megyn's apology.

Remember, Melissa was part of the panel -- all white people -- sitting with Megyn when she made the asinine remark ... which might explain why she consulted a friend.

As for the apology -- Melissa hints it's simply NOT possible 47-year-old Megyn still doesn't "know where the line is."

Megyn Kelly is getting torn to shreds, deservedly so, by her coworkers at NBC -- especially Al Roker -- who demanded she apologize to the country for her asinine blackface comments ... and she did.

Megyn began her show Wednesday morning with a 2-minute mea culpa ... insisting she had learned a lesson due to the massive backlash after she said it was fine to wear blackface for Halloween "as long as it's a character."

In her apology, she said, "It is not okay for that to be part of any costume. Halloween or otherwise. I've never been a PC kind of person, but I do understand the value of being sensitive to our history. Particularly on race and ethnicity."

Worth noting ... her apology drew a standing ovation from audience members -- many of whom were African-American.

It's unclear if her apology went far enough for Al, though. A few hours earlier, he blasted her on the air, saying ... "She owes a bigger apology to folks of color around the country."

Ariana Grande is making an attempt to cover up any and all signs of Pete Davidson ... even if it means hiding a tattoo dedicated to Pete with a Band-Aid.

Grande performed "The Wizard and I" Tuesday in NYC during a pre-taped segment for the upcoming NBC special dedicated to the Broadway musical, "Wicked." Ariana has a "pete" tattoo on her ring finger, and you can see in this side-by-side, she made sure to cover it up for any close-ups.

The special is set to air October 29, meaning the split will be more than two weeks old ... so hiding the tattoo now does make a lot of sense.

TMZ broke the story, the "Wicked" performance was Grande's first public appearance since the split ... Davidson was set to headline a comedy gig at Temple University Wednesday, but dropped out last minute.

In a post that's apparently since been deleted, Ariana said, "time to say bye bye again to the internew for jus a lil bit. it's hard not to bump news n stuff that i'm not tryna see rn. it's very sad and we're all tryin very hard to keep goin. love u. and thank u for bein here always."

Ariana's also parted with the $100k engagement ring from Davidson, but will keep the couple's teacup pig.

Nick Cannon's getting a warm welcome at FOX for his new late night TV show, and so is his turban ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Nick will rock his signature headgear without concern or pushback from the network. That wasn't the case in the latter part of his nearly 10-year run as host of "America's Got Talent" on NBC.

Sources said the Peacock Network wasn't jibing with his look on 'AGT,' and unleashed its wrath on him over a "black card" joke he made during a Showtime comedy special.

That dispute led to Nick quitting 'AGT', and leaving millions on the table.

As for his new FOX gig, we're told it has to be a weekly show, because Nick is currently finishing up his master's degree at Howard University. When he's done, it'll free him up to do a nightly show. We're told the show's set to debut in early 2019.