Late Night

Lindsay Lohan can take a joke -- even when she's the butt of it ... and she wasted no time teeing off on her latest rehab stint while guest hosting "Chelsea Lately."

Linds just wrapped her first gig since getting out of rehab on Tuesday -- and sources inside the show tell us she freely cracked jokes like, "I've been on a 90-day court ordered vacation."

In LiLo's defense ... she probably didn't write the jokes.

We're told Lindsay also busted on Chelsea Handler for drinking too much -- and overall was "very funny" ... especially during the round table segment with comedians Jen Kirkman and Fortune Feimster.

Linds also got some eye candy for her troubles -- getting to interview Dylan Bruce from the BBC show "Orphan Black."

Don't say Chelsea never did anything for you, Lindsay.

Security at Craig Ferguson's "Late Late Show" didn't take any chances during last month's anthrax scare -- telling the 911 operator they immediately quarantined everyone who had contact with the white powder as soon as they could.

TMZ obtained a copy of the 911 call -- made by a very cool, calm and collected security guard who wasn't one of the five people exposed to the powder.

As we previously reported, a deranged fan put the powder in an envelope and mailed it to CBS Television City in L.A, along with a threatening letter -- but an investigation proved the powder was nothing more than cornmeal.

"Uncle Frank" Potenza -- the silver-haired ex-cop who charmed audiences on his nephew's show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", died early this morning ... reps from the show have confirmed.

Uncle Frank spent 20 years as a New York City police officer -- before eventually becoming a staple on Kimmel's late night show in 2003.

The show released an official statement on Frank's passing -- saying his "kindness and humor" will be missed.

The show has not revealed Frank's cause of death.

Uncle Frank was 77.

"It wasn't a movie ... it was a film!" -- Adam Carolla

TMZ has learned "American Idol" musical director Rickey Minor will become the new Kevin Eubanks on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

We're told the announcement is supposed to be made tomorrow.

Minor has worked as a musical director for Beyonce, Ray Charles, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston and many others. He was also musical director for the Grammy Awards and the Super Bowl.

Eubanks is leaving the show late next month... exactly the same time "Idol" goes on hiatus.

UPDATE: NBC has officially confirmed TMZ's story ... Minor will debut on "The Tonight Show" on June 7.

In a total shocker, Conan O'Brien will not be going to FOX ... but instead he's shacking up with TBS.

Conan will host a show Monday - Thursday at 11 PM EST -- getting a 30 minute jump on nemesis Jay Leno.

Once the show debuts, George Lopez's show -- "Lopez Tonight" -- will move to midnight. Short story for George -- the lead-in is a dream come true.

Conan just tweeted -- "The good news: I will be doing a show on TBS starting in November! The bad news: I'll be playing Rudy on the all new Cosby Show."

The bronze medal-winning snowboarder was super chatty on his way into "Jimmy Kimmel Live," claiming the chick who kissed his medal and then went South had also approached Michael Phelps and tried dragging him into a make-out session.

K-EARTH 101 radio in L.A. first reported the story this AM. NBC has confirmed Kevin wants to tour and record and -- although he'll be there for Jay's debut next month -- his long-term prospects on the show are uncertain.

Having trouble finding what to get the person who has everything on your Christmas list? How about some of Scarlett Johansson's germs?!

Jay Leno and ScarJo are selling the tissue the 24-year-old actress blew her nose into on last night's "Tonight Show" on eBay and giving the proceeds to the USA Harvest food charity. Yum.

Usually he's kind of a douchebag, so imagine our surprise when -- live on air -- Tyrese promised to take the whole audience to a free screening of his new movie, "Death Race." Unfortunately, we're told some of the more excited fans showed up to the theater too quickly for the message to be relayed -- so they were denied.

When talk show talking head Regis Philbin goes on vacation October 22, comedian/Sarah Silverman boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel will fill in for Philbin in New York and film his own late night TV show in Los Angeles. For five days, Kimmel will film "Live With Regis and Kelly" in the morning, and then hop on a plane for L.A. and film his own show at night. Just call him Jet Lag Jimmy.

"It will be difficult, but that's how committed I am to entertaining America. And parts of Canada," said Kimmel. Doesn't anybody else work in New York?

Late-night funnyman Jimmy Kimmel missed the taping of last night's show -- and for good reason.

TMZ has learned that Kimmel required an emergency appendectomy on Wednesday night in L.A., and though the surgery was successful, all tapings of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" have been canceled until Kimmel recovers.

His rep tells us that Jimmy "is resting comfortably and is looking forward to getting back to work."

Eddie Griffin collected a trophy for his high profile Ferrari crash -- but it's not necessarily an honor.

On last night's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Jimmy gave the questionable road menace a Crashie Award for "Best Celebrity Driver" for his totaling of an Enzo at a charity event this past Monday. Kimmel explained that past winners included the car-seat phobic Britney Spears, and Billy Joel, who once crashed into a house.

Ever appreciative, Griffin thanked "the producer (whose Ferrari was the one he totaled), the director and the manufacturer, 'cuz I'm still here."

For reasons we can't explain, yet find completely hysterical, Jimmy Kimmel has made a tradition of closing out episodes of the third season of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" by saying something like, "Apologies to Matt Damon, but we ran out of time" -- when Damon was never scheduled to be on the show.

Well on Wednesday's primetime special, "Jimmy Kimmel Live's All-Star Salute to Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Damon finally got his chance to appear on the show -- only Jimmy's introduction ran a bit long, so Damon was cut short once again.

And as you can see in the clip, Damon (quite the good sport for going along with the joke) didn't take the news too well. Maybe next time, Matt!