Reality TV

Todd Chrisley says the coronavirus "made me the sickest I've ever been on this earth" ... and forced him to get his ass to an ER, stat!!!

The "Chrisley Knows Best" star revealed his diagnosis Wednesday, and said he's been battling COVID-19 for 3 weeks. He says his treatment required 4 days in the ER. Seems like he's back in decent spirits for a couple reasons: He was able to record his podcast, and referenced the virus by asking, "Can we talk about this bitch called corona?"

He went on to reveal he'd been battling high fevers -- from 100 to 103 degrees -- and added, "Hopefully, I will get better every day, but as of right now, folks, I still am not clicking on all cylinders. I am probably about 70 to 75% of what I normally am, but that last 25% is kicking my ass."

Todd's daughter Savannah opened up in great detail in an Instagram post saying, "I have never been so scared in my life ... After a couple of days mom and I talked him into going to urgent care."

Savannah said Todd was eventually tested and sent home to self-quarantine. But, the test came back positive a week later. As if things couldn't get any worse ... Savannah said Todd finally woke up one Sunday and "He woke mom up saying he has to go to ER [because] he couldn't fight it any longer."

Seems Todd's back on the mend, but Savannah urged her fans ... "The point of me telling u all this is so that u take it seriously...STAY HOME! SOCIAL DISTANCE! And most importantly...LOVE HARDER THAN EVER! Life is so short."

MTV star Johnny Bananas says the network's new season of their daredevil reality show, 'The Challenge,' can fill the void pro sports left behind ... and he might have a case here.

Johnny was breaking down his show's 35th season ... "The Challenge: Total Madness," when he threw out his theory that it's exactly what the sports doctor ordered for fans in quarantine without a single ball game to watch

His reasoning ... 'TC' is just as competitive and physically demanding as anything you might see on a court, field or rink -- and there's some added drama in the mix to make it more compelling.

If you're unfamiliar with the program, 'Challenge' participants have to pull off VERY extreme tasks that a professional stuntman might do on the set of a movie. It's like 'Ninja Warrior' meets "Fear Factor" meets U.S. Navy Seal boot camp all in one.

We're talking about jumping out of planes, hiking up mountains, firing a tank and all in all ... surviving the elements. Johnny says this season was shot in a remote area of Prague, at an abandoned Cold War-era missile bunker, where contestants slept.

As for whether people would rather watch this than their beloved NBA or MLB games -- Johnny might be on to something.

"Saved by the Barn" star Dan McKernan says just dipping your toe into a plant-based diet could help reduce viral pandemics ... and, of course, spare more of the animals he rescues.

Dan was on "TMZ Live" Tuesday when he made a pitch for the vegan lifestyle, and the positive impact it can have on the planet. He's not militant about it, and instead suggests you start slowly -- a method he says worked for his 63-year-old "stubborn farmer" dad.

He also believes reducing animal consumption will reduce the number of pandemics caused by viruses jumping from animals to humans -- a la the coronavirus.

Dan's main focus, though, is on saving animals across the country and raising them on his Michigan farm. He's had a lot of success ... documented on his new show.

So far, he's saved over 100 animals -- none cuter than his pal, KJ the goat!!! Watch our video with him, we think you'll agree ... and catch the premiere of "Saved By The Barn" Saturday at 10PM on Animal Planet.

Colton Underwood looks like a walking clean bill of health after being stricken by coronavirus -- and the first thing on his checklist was a jaunt with his boo.

The ex-'Bachelor' hit the road Monday for a walk with his girlfriend, Cassie Randolph, and her sis, Michelle. The good-looking trio took a stroll down the coast near Huntington Beach, CA ... and Colton's looking good as new, compared to a few weeks ago.

You'll recall ... shortly after he disclosed he'd caught the 'rona -- Colton was looking pretty ill and down in the dumps.

Now he's looking much better and feeling that way, too. He says, "I have made a full recovery from the coronavirus and we managed to keep the entire family healthy as well."

Colton added, on IG ... "I am now working with medical professionals to figure out the best way to support their efforts against the coronavirus."

He also thanked Cass and her fam for caring for him while he was sick.

Anyway, Colton has another reason to celebrate right now -- his new book, "The First Time," is coming out.

Doc Antle, former mentor to Joe Exotic, says his animals in Myrtle Beach are safe from the coronavirus, and they've been that way since long before a Bronx Zoo tiger tested positive ... and Carole Baskin's confident her Big Cat Rescue felines are fine too.

Doc, who, of course, was one of the 3 stars of 'Tiger King,' tells TMZ ... his Myrtle Beach Safari is a much different setup from that of the Bronx Zoo. He says he and his 25 employees all live onsite, making for a much more controlled and self-isolated environment.

He says he put his facility on lockdown immediately after the government released guidelines to stay at home and practice social distancing. Doc says his staff has been under strict quarantine since then. No visitors or physical contact with outside groups allowed.

While we humans have had "wash your hands" drilled into our heads ... Doc says his big cats are also bathed and cleaned regularly. He adds, specific caretakers are assigned to the animals, and that doesn't change ... thereby limiting potential exposure to the coronavirus.

If one of his big kitties somehow contracts COVID-19, Doc says it will be treated like a person and placed in self-isolation for 14 days to keep it from spreading it to other animals. Still, he says there's a very low chance of that.

Joe's nemesis, Carole Baskin is equally confident about the well-being of the animals at her tiger rescue outside of Tampa. Folks down there tell us they're monitoring the animals closely and none have shown any symptoms.

Mama June's looking for new ways to make that paper during the nation's unemployment surge, and like several celebs before her ... she's turned to Cameo.

The perennially-troubled reality star popped up on the personalized video shoutout site, and based on her one review on so far ... she's doing awesome.

June's asking price for a personalized vid is $25 -- quite a bit less than other big names who partake in Cameo -- but the cash can add up quickly if she gets lots of requests.

But check this out ... her daughter Honey Boo Boo has been racking up the Cameo cash after joining the site just days ago ... so there's hope for Mama, too.

HBB's vids are also apparently "Awesome" ... and 5 bucks less a pop.

This isn't the first new business venture for Mama June during the coronavirus crisis either. As we first reported ... she also emerged on social media a couple weeks back to push a weight-loss product.

Dr. Will Kirby wants his fellow medical pros to quit hoarding crucial supplies, and make the sacrifices needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

The celebrity dermatologist joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and sounded the alarm -- hospitals and first responders are in desperate need of face shields, masks and gloves ... items generally known as PPE, personal protective equipment.

Dr. Kirby -- who is a lead Doc at LaserAway -- doesn't mince words, saying any Bev Hills, Hollywood or L.A. cosmetic surgeon refusing to donate their stockpile of PPE is straight-up selfish and cowardly.

He suspects they've been slow to donate because they're hoping to open their doors again in a few weeks. Watch the clip ... he acknowledges the economic risk, but says it's time to band together and sacrifice.

The good doc is putting his PPE where his mouth is ... he's already donated $50,000 worth of PPE to 17 emergency rooms in New York and California.

Ryan Seacrest says it's gonna take major adjustments, but "American Idol" will deliver all the show's usual elements ... while keeping everyone involved safe.

Ryan joined us on Tuesday's "TMZ Live" from his home studio in L.A. -- where he's been doing "Live with Kelly and Ryan," his radio shows and, of course, pushing forward on the upcoming 'Idol' season.

BTW, you can tell he's working from home ... 'cause this ain't the Seacrest 'do you're used to seeing.

The magic of modern technology has worked wonders, so far, but Ryan told us he and the other 'Idol' honchos are still sorting out how to pull off what would normally be live episodes. He says the end goal is giving the audience what it expects ... singers' performances, judges' comments and fan voting.

We broke the story ... 'Idol' producers tried for as long as they could to find a way to produce the show in studio, but ultimately decided it can't be done for health and safety reasons.

Kris and Kylie Jenner want to do everything they can to make sure those battling coronavirus stay protected ... they're donating hand sanitizer to healthcare employees on the front line.

Kylie and Kris are teaming up with COTY -- the majority stakeholder for Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin -- to produce hand sanitizers for hospitals in Southern California. The product will then be donated to workers taking on the public health crisis. We're told each bottle contains a special message, "Dedicated to first responders working to support our communities."

Kylie and Kim Kardashian West have already each pledged $1 million to coronavirus relief efforts ... and both sisters have urged their followers to take warnings seriously and to stay home.

Kylie was asked by the Surgeon General to spread the message to her more than 160 million followers ... and obliged.