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A classic childhood show from Nickelodeon's heyday is getting fresh blood in the form of a reboot, and the guy who hosted it has some nuggets of gold for us before cameras roll.

We talked to Kirk Fogg Wednesday in L.A. about the big news ... namely, that "Legends of the Hidden Temple" is being revived -- only this time, it'll be made for adults instead of kids. And, of course, because of that, it ain't gonna be airing on Nick ... but rather The CW.

You might recall ... Kirk headed up hosting duties when 'Legends' originally ran for 3 seasons in the mid-'90s. So, with that in mind, we had to ask the man himself if he was coming back to pick up the baton again. Check out his answer ... he didn't say no!

It doesn't sound like he'll necessarily be hosting this new version, but he says he's in talks with the network and aiming to be involved in some capacity.

Now, for the good stuff ... like what the arena will look like. Kirk might have spilled more than he's allowed to by revealing it's gonna be WAY bigger than the OG one pre-teens were running back in the day -- but still faithful to Olmec's original labyrinths.

And, as far as potential contestants ... well, our photog actually pitched an idea Kirk was digging. The failed contenders from once upon a time could get a redo!

Ellen DeGeneres says she knew deep down it was time to step away from her talk show after 19 seasons on the air ... and she's thankful for one helluva ride.

Ellen got emotional Wednesday as she taped the Thursday episode of her talk show, talking about her big news -- that she's wrapping it up in 2022 -- and explaining, for the first time, what led to her decision.

She said she always knew in her heart the upcoming 19th season would be her last, and she's trusting her instincts as she prepares to walk away. Ellen got a little emotional during the monologue, but, of course, kept it funny too.

Ellen says 19 is a good number to go out on ... pointing out the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, and making a joke about the periodic table and conversations with herself and her wife, Portia de Rossi.

As a comedian, Ellen says she's always understood the importance of timing ... and the timing is right for her to end what she calls an "amazing chapter" in her life.

She'll get to discuss it even more with Thursday's guests ... Oprah and Pink.

Caleb Kennedy -- who was one of the final 5 contestants on this season of "American Idol" -- is no longer in the running to win after a video surfaced showing him sitting next to someone wearing a Klan-like hood.

The country singer just announced his departure from 'Idol' saying ... "Hey y'all, this is gonna be a bit of a surprise." He adds ... "There was a video that surfaced on the internet and it displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way."

Caleb claims the video is from when he was younger and he "did not think about the actions" ... but says that's no excuse. He's apologized to his fans and people he disappointed and says he's going to take time to better himself.

The singer closes by saying ... "I'm so sorry! I pray that I can one day regain your trust in who I am and have your respect."

Caleb recently wowed 'Idol' fans and the judges with his country-rock rendition of Coldplay's "Violet Hill" ... but that will be his last performance.

Ellen DeGeneres is about to hit the end of the road with her talk show -- the upcoming 19th season will be her last, TMZ has confirmed.

Production sources tell TMZ ... Ellen will make the announcement during a Wednesday taping. We're told when Ellen renewed her contract through 2022, she felt that would be the right time to end it, and it wasn't a secret to people close to her that she was walking away.

We're told Ellen's plans are NOT to retire. She'll take some time off to decide what's next. She recently signed a multi-year deal with Discovery ... on top of shows on NBC ('Game of Games,' 'Family Game Fight'), FOX ('Masked Singer') and HBO ('Ellen's Next Great Designer' and the upcoming Tig Notaro animated comedy special).

As for what her final season will entail ... we're told it'll be a huge celebration with tons of surprise guests. We're told Ellen's excited and looking forward to going out with a bang and focusing on ending the show on a strong note.

Ellen's planning to sit down with Oprah on May 13 to talk about the show's end.

As for why she's ending the show ... the comedian told The Hollywood Reporter, "When you're a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged -- and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it's just not a challenge anymore."

The news was not an abrupt decision. Ending the show had weighed on Ellen's mind since at least 2018. She told The New York Times her wife, Portia de Rossi, had implored her to call it a day. Ellen eventually signed on for 3 more seasons.

The show, which debuted in fall 2003, was philanthropic too -- reportedly making nearly $70 million in charitable donations and sinking more than $300 million into audience giveaways.

During her talk show run, Ellen earned the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2015 ... and Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

In 2019, former employees accused her of fostering a toxic work environment. In the wake of those allegations ... 3 of the show's executive producers were fired.

Ellen apologized to open her show last season saying, "I learned that things happened here that never should have happened. I take that vey seriously. And, I want to say that I am so sorry to the people who were affected."

She added, "I know that I am in a position of privilege and power, and I realize that with that comes responsibility. I take responsibility for what happens at my show."

Good news Betty White fans ... more than a year into a pandemic and the Hollywood legend's still healthy and safe at home, but she's looking forward to summer when she can safely enjoy the outdoors and regain her freedom.

Betty's been keeping herself busy at home reading, watching TV and doing crossword puzzles ... so says her rep, Jeff Witjas. We're told there's one thing the pandemic has severely affected in her life ... her ability to regularly interact with friends face-to-face.

We're told, however, she still pens plenty of letters, makes phone calls and has limited visits with friends and loved ones through the window of her home.

Betty has always been a champion for animals, but currently has no house pets, so that's an empty spot in her life ... especially for a senior who is isolated from friends and family. She does, however, have a couple ducks on her property that we're told walk up to her door every day to say hello.

As for whether or not 99-year-old Betty's been vaccinated, Witjas is mum, saying it's a personal matter.

We're told it's unclear if and when Betty will ever return to work. But, after a Hollywood career that's spanned 60-plus years ... a break is well-deserved.

Looks like there will be one less award show next year ... NBC just axed the 2022 Golden Globes because of a lack of diversity within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

The network announced its decision to cut ties with the Golden Globes Monday, citing the need for "meaningful reform" at the HFPA, which is stirring outrage in Hollywood due to a lack of people of color among its members.

NBC says it won't air the Golden Globes in 2022, but the network's leaving the door open for the award show's return in January 2023, as long as the HFPA follows through with a new plan to increase membership among POC.

Remember, the HFPA -- a non-profit made up of international journalists who put on (and vote for winners of) the Golden Globes -- has been called out for reportedly having ZERO Black members for several years now.

The hosts of this year's Golden Globes, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, even raised the issue during NBC's February broadcast.

NBC's decision to ax the Globes comes the same day Tom Cruise reportedly returned his 3 Golden Globe trophies to the HFPA in a sign of protest.

There's been growing opposition to HFPA ... as we reported, Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson recently called on Hollywood to "step back" from HFPA, and the Globes by extension.

Meanwhile, the HFPA says it's planning to make sweeping changes ... like admitting 20 new members with a focus on Black recruitment.

NBC says change at the HFPA "takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right."

See ya in 2023?!?

'Tiger King' star Jeff Lowe says he received a creepy, anonymous letter from someone indicating they know where Carole Baskin's missing ex-husband is ... though it's similar to a theory she's already shot down.

Jeff tells TMZ ... the letter was sent to his Tiger King Park in Oklahoma in May 2020, but the envelope only had the zoo's address on it, no name or return address. He says all they know is it was postmarked in Providence, Rhode Island.

As you can see in video of Jeff and his wife, Lauren, opening the letter back then ... it contains a single piece of paper with a handwritten note -- "The corpse lies under Her House." It's signed by "The Faithful Witness."

We're told Jeff and Lauren were speaking with a federal agent about the letter, and she claims she also informed law enforcement in Hillsborough County, FL ... where Don Lewis went missing in 1997.

Jeff and the agent on the phone speculate about what exactly the letter is alleging, but the gist seems clear ... the person who sent it believes Don's body is buried somewhere on Carole's Big Cat Rescue property in Tampa.

Here's where things get a bit weird -- even though Lauren says Hillsborough County authorities requested the letter in May 2020 ... Jeff refused, saying 'Tiger King 2' producers advised him to hold onto it.

Jeff says filming's wrapped now, so they are finally sending the letter to the Hillsborough County authorities, where he claims cops are planning to test it for DNA and fingerprints. We reached out to the Hillsborough Co. Sheriff's Office, they say they won't talk about evidence.

As we previously told you ... there's a Facebook group that also believes Lewis is buried on Baskin's property -- specifically under a septic tank system -- but she posted a video in August 2020 attempting to debunk that.

Elon Musk took a hard left turn from comedy as he hosted 'SNL' Saturday night ... announcing he has Asperger's.

He made the announcement at the beginning of his monologue, speaking in a monotone voice. Musk revealed he's the first "Saturday Night Live" host with Asperger Syndrome.

However, Dan Aykroyd, a former 'SNL' cast member, also has Asperger’s and hosted the show in 2003.

Asperger Syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder. It manifests itself with major difficulties in engaging in social interactions and nonverbal communication. It is characterized as an autism spectrum disorder. It does not affect one's intelligence or language abilities. People with autism can experience physical and communication difficulties.

Elon was funny ... he seemed relaxed and was super self-deprecating. He joked about how he smoked a joint on Joe Rogan's podcast and now everyone thinks he's a pothead.

He also told an O.J. Simpson joke ... that O.J. too had hosted twice "and he killed it."

Elon, who's 49, brought his mom, Maye Musk, on stage for a sweet moment that was also kinda funny.

"Saturday Night Live" thinks Elon Musk hosting is an international affair -- they're doing something brand new to get as many eyeballs as possible watching ... around the whole dang world.

NBC made a massive announcement Saturday ... saying that tonight's episode -- starring Musk -- would be live streamed on YouTube, so different countries could tune in altogether. This appears to be the first time the network has done this, BTW ... so it's a big deal.

This stream will be available to over 100 countries, from down under to Africa ... and presumably, everything else in between. NBCU's chairman, Frances Berwick, says 'SNL' is a global phenomenon ... and this move highlights that.

She adds, "It’s incredibly exciting to create this worldwide event with host Elon Musk and musical guest Miley Cyrus." Unclear if this is the start of a regular thing, or just a one-off -- it appears to be the former, though. If that's the case ... talk about pressure, huh?!?

Elon's episode already promised to be one the most watched episodes in a long time ... as many think it'll either be a home run or a train wreck. Either way, people wanna watch.

Now ... it looks like that hype has been multiplied by 10, since there'll be potentially hundreds of millions (maybe even billions?!?) of people tuning in. And, of course, that means the skits better be damn good too ... maybe even a little better than Baby Shark Tank, a brainchild of Elon's.

There's no telling what's in store as far as content -- but a lot of folks are anticipating a major Dogecoin plug from the Tesla wiz ... who's kinda stepped in as a shepherd of sorts for the meme cryptocurrency, which many think is "going to the moon" with more exposure.

Looks like there's definitely gonna be some Doge-themed material ... at least based on Miley's not-so-subtle tease earlier Saturday. She posted a throwback clip of herself speaking gibberish ... which she said is what Elon sounds like trying to explain Dogecoin to her.

Welp, if they wanted publicity and fanfare ... they got it and then some. 'SNL' is set to begin at 8:30 PM PT, with a live broadcast on the East Coast as well. So if you're on the other side of the world and sleeping at that time ... ya better wake your ass up.

Bill Maher scoffs at Republican claims the 2020 election was stolen, but he himself is leveling claims the Republicans are actually the thieves ... because he says they've stolen all the fun from Democrats.

The 'Real Time' maestro made it clear -- he's pissed off the drugs and sex that used to be associated with the Dems have somehow been co-opted by Trump's party. Matt Gaetz is someone who particularly sticks in Maher's craw. Frankly, Bill seems enraged.

But, as usual, Bill had a deeper point that goes beyond hedonism. He groused, "Once upon the time, the right were the ones offended by everything. They were the party of speech codes and blacklists and moral panics and demanding some TV show had to go.”

But, he says, the tables have turned ... "Well, now that's us. We're the fun-suckers now. We suck the fun out of everything: Halloween, the Oscars, childhood, Twitter, comedy. It's like woke kids on campus decided to be all the worst parts of a Southern Baptist."

Then he called for party introspection ... "If Democrats had always policed morality as hard as they do now, they'd be down a lot of heroes. No FDR, JFK, RFK, LBJ, Clinton, Martin Luther King. Democrats are now the party that can't tell the difference between Anthony Weiner and Al Franken."

He zeroed in on former U.S. Rep. Katie Hill, who had a bright career but resigned when it came out she was in a throuple and someone leaked nude photos of her holding a bong. Bill says Dems couldn't handle it ... "That was too much for our puritanical Democratic Party."

Kim Zolciak's time on another reality show has come to an end ... "Don't Be Tardy" is getting the ax after a long run on the air.

Production sources tell TMZ ... the TV show -- which follows the daily lives of Kim, her husband, Kroy Biermann, her daughters, Brielle and Ariana and the rest of the family -- is not returning for a 9th season on Bravo.

We're told the network decided not to move forward with another season of 'Tardy' because Bravo felt the show had simply run its course after 8 years documenting the famous fam.

The reality show debuted way back in 2012 when it was known as "Don't Be Tardy For the Wedding" ... and the first season follows Kim and Kroy as they prepare to say "I do."

'Tardy' was the first spin-off from "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" ... and Kim famously left 'RHOA' to do her own show.

Mendeecees is free to leave the country for a very special occasion -- renewing his wedding vows to Yandy Smith.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... the "Love & Hip Hop New York" star got a federal judge to sign off on his request to travel to Dubai for a few days later in May so he can renew his vows.

As we first told you ... Mendeecees was released from prison and reunited with his family in early 2020 after spending more than 5 years behind bars for drug trafficking.

He's still on supervised release until 2025 though, meaning he has to get approval for travel like this. According to the docs ... his probation officer says he's been compliant with the conditions of his supervised release, so the officer had no problems with his travel request and sent it on to the court for approval.

The judge agreed, so he's good to go for a trip to Dubai with Yandy.

Worth noting ... Mendeecees and Yandy famously had their lavish wedding ceremony in 2015 -- which aired on a live VH1 special -- but she later revealed in an episode that they were never legally married.

She said, "I have a union with Mendeecees, but I did not go into a partnership with Mendeecees and the government."

Here it is ... your first chance to judge Elon Musk's "Saturday Night Live" hosting skills, and he's leaning into the idea it could be total chaos. Or, just another 'SNL.'

In the first promos for his gig, the Tesla and SpaceX founder is kinda acknowledging all the buzz about him being the show's first controversial host in quite some time. As the polarizing figure himself puts it ... he's a "wild card" who could do just about anything.

Musical guest Miley Cyrus was by his side, but cast star Cecily Strong delivered the punchlines with a reminder their moms will be in the audience because it's a Mother's Day show.

In a second spot, Elon brags about SpaceX's most recent successful rocket launch ... and again, Cecily gets the punchline about doing her laundry. Pretty standard 'SNL' stuff.

Of course, a lot of people -- 'SNL' fans and even some cast members -- have expressed disapproval of one of the richest people in the world, who's not an entertainer, hosting.

However, other SNL stars like Pete Davidson and Michael Che have publicly supported Musk hosting and claim there's no issue among the cast ... and SNL alum Conan O'Brien told us this week that it's pretty common for non-professional comedians like Elon to end up being the best hosts.

Conan O'Brien says non-professional comedians like Elon Musk make perfect 'SNL' hosts ... and funny ones too, so he says viewers might be pleasantly surprised.

We got Conan Wednesday on his way out of the famous L.A. diner Swingers, and he gave us some insight on what Elon and the 'SNL' cast are going through right now. Remember, he was a writer on the show from 1988 to 1991. He revealed it's actually the non-comedians he considered "dream guests" back in the day when he was one of the show's writers.

Conan tells us the fact Elon isn't a comedian or an actor makes him a dream guest -- or at least it did back in his day. Not buying it? Well, watch the clip ... Conan explains his "fish outta water" theory for getting big laughs in sketches.

Our photog tried to get him to suggest some new material for Elon, but Conan's no fool ... and we can't afford his rate.

As for some 'SNL' cast members publicly grousing about Lorne Michaels' decision to have Elon host this weekend -- Conan says a lot sure has changed since his time there.

BTW, we also got Pete Davidson arriving at Rockefeller Center and the funny man sang Elon's praises. Seems he wasn't one of the cast members pissed about working with Elon.

Nev Schulman says he's to blame for Ben Affleck getting rejected on a dating app by a woman who didn't believe he was the real deal ... but he has some advice for Ben.

We got the "Catfish" host at LAX and asked about Ben's apparent troubles on the dating platform, Raya, where the newly single actor sent a video message to a smoking hot woman he says "unmatched" him, thinking his profile had to be fake.

Nev says dating apps are inherently difficult for any celeb in the wake of "Catfish," and he tells us why Ben's got it even tougher than most famous folks when it comes to finding a date.

As you know ... Ben and Ana de Armas called it quits earlier this year and he's recently been hanging with his ex, Jennifer Lopez, though we're told they're strictly friends.

Nev tells us he's not surprised Ben might be dipping a toe in the online dating pool -- that's how most folks are finding dates during the pandemic -- and says the real issue for celebs involves keeping their private life under wraps.

Speaking of which, Nev thinks the woman who posted Ben's video message should be kicked off the app for spilling the Raya tea.

While Nev admits he "may have inadvertently c*** blocked Ben Affleck," he's got some sage advice if and when Ben runs into more dating app roadblocks.

Well this is kinda awkward -- it's just 7 days until curtain call for Elon Musk and the 'SNL' team, and he's out here openly brainstorming skits on Twitter, which screams ... unprepared.

The Tesla CEO took to Twitter Saturday -- a full week before he's set to host in NYC --- and he was actually fielding ideas from randos about good sketches he and the cast could do. He might just be screwing around ... OR, maybe he has no idea what's actually in store.

Here are just a few possibilities he's kicking around between himself and his followers -- he suggested "Woke James Bond," "Irony Man" (who defeats villains using the power of irony), "Baby Shark Tank" (self-explanatory) ... and he even entertained a Dogecoin idea.

Someone suggested he do a riff on the 'The Godfather' ... and spin it like the Dogefather, which he's been nicknamed for helping catapult the cryptocurrency into the mainstream.

Elon simply responded ... "Definitely."

Again, it's likely Elon's just joshing around and simply teasing his appearance altogether. However, another scenario exists ... that the 'SNL' team might not have filled him in entirely as to what skits are in play (yet), which isn't all that crazy considering the bad blood that's been brewing since the announcement.

If you haven't heard, a few cast members publicly decried Elon being tapped as host -- namely, Bowen Yang and Aidy Bryant ... who didn't seem to dig the idea of cozying up to Elon. Yang openly mocked a tweet Elon posted, which said, "Let's find out just how live Saturday Night Live is" ... to which Yang responded, "what the f*** does this even mean?"

Bryant was a little more subtle ... posting a quote from Bernie Sanders about the incredibly wealthy class in this country -- to which Elon belongs. He's a multi-billionaire these days.