Ellen Degeneres News

Summer's here and the snowbirds have migrated back up north. That means it's time again for the annual funny fest known as the Sarasota Improv Festival. The non-stop laughter returns today and tomorrow, July 11 and 12 for two days and nights of unpredictable and hysterical comedy, with 17 of the hottest groups on the national improv scene.

Building on three historic fundraising telecasts in 2008, 2010 and 2012, the groundbreaking grassroots movement Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), will return to primetime television on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

Building on three historic fundraising telecasts in 2008, 2010 and 2012, the groundbreaking grassroots movement Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), will return to primetime television on Friday, September 5, 2014, at 8 pm ET & PT / 7 pm CT.

After a year of performances in the newly renovated Ruth Finley Person Theater, Wells Fargo Center for the Arts kicks-off the fall season with a rich array of performers, speakers and family programming. The line-up features music legends like Steve Winwood, Heart, The Temptations and The Four Tops as well as unforgettable comedians Cheech and Chong and Nick Offerman.

Season 12 of ELLEN premieres September 12th, and host Ellen DeGeneres knows just the song to get viewers in the mood for the show's return.

The Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF) takes pride in announcing the 2014-15 Arts and Ideas Season; an exciting line-up of today's acclaimed writers, food experts, renowned scientists and thinkers, as well as fascinating entertainers. Theatrical and musical highlights in the first half of the season include The Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt, rock icon Amanda Palmer and actor Richard Chamberlain.

Perhaps best known as the comedian who puts the cerebral in Cerebral Palsy, Josh Blue exploded onto the national comedy scene by capturing the attention and endearment of the country as the winner of NBC's Last Comic Standing. Most recently, Josh debuted a new one-hour Showtime special Sticky Change and the special, Comedy Central Presents: Josh Blue.

The Cleveland Orchestra proudly announces its community arts partnership with the 2014 Gay Games, being held this summer in Northeast Ohio. The 2014 Gay Games presented by the Cleveland Foundation takes place August 9-16 in venues around Cleveland and Akron. More than 35 sports and culture events will be held, with more than 20,000 people from more than 50 countries expected to participate and visit the region.

July is National Hot Dog Month and as Americans prepare to eat more than 150 million hot dogs during the Independence Day holiday, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) is setting out to answer the most common hot dog question of them all: how are hot dogs really made? In a new video, NHDSC President and "Queen of Wien" Janet Riley takes viewers on a tour of a hot dog plant showing the process from start to finish including the cuts of meat used in hot dogs, how the meat is ground together with spices and ice until it is a cake-like batter, stuffing the batter into casings which are then cooked and smoked and finally removing the casings and packing the finished hot dogs for shipping. The video will be featured on the NHDSC YouTube Channel. "Stories about hot dogs are made are legendary," said Riley. "At the risk of destroying the mystique surrounding hot making, our new video will show that the actual process is much simpler, and possibly less exciting, than the rumors that have existed for decades." Hot Dog Selfie Contest

Superstar Beyonce has climbed to No. 1 on the Forbes Celebrity 100, bumping the Queen of Media Oprah from the top spot.

Last night, Thursday, June 26, the world-famous dance crew Jabbawockeez celebrated the first anniversary of its awe-inspiring show "PRiSM," at Luxor Hotel and Casino. Following a standout performance, Jabbawockeez flooded the audience and tossed out festive noise makers in celebration of its anniversary. Afterwards, on stage the dancers were presented with a commemorative cake created by the Luxor chefs featuring Jabbawockeez signature white masks and images of the crew.

'Last Comic Standing's exciting challenge rounds, in which comics will be tested in a variety of comedy disciplines ranging from sketch comedy to improv, kick off tonight, June 26 (10-11 p.m. ET) on NBC with guest mentor Cheryl Hines ('Curb Your Enthusiasm,' 'Suburgatory').

HGTV's Cousins, John Colaneri and Anthony Carrino, return for a new season of Cousins Undercover tonight, June 25, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

With 'The Life and Career of Daniel Radcliffe' in final edit, fan book series author Randy Jernigan has wasted no time in moving on to the next super-star to be brought to life in the seriesthe one and only Ellen Degeneres. 'I've always been an admirer of Ellen's worknot just as a talk show host and comedian, but as a person too,' says Jernigan of his new subject. 'Ellen does a lot of wonderful things for peopleon the show as well as in her personal life that most people never hear about. She's an inspiration to a lot of people out there and I'm excited to be including her in this fan book series.' Known as the dancing comedian, Ellen Degeneres has become a beloved television icon and entertainment pioneer. Ellen's distinctive comic voice resonates with audiences from her stand-up comedy routines, television and film, and even in the literary world. This book is expected to chronicle Ellen's early childhood years, little known details of her private life, as well as her long career as a comedian and television host and more. Randy Jernigan is well known for his 'concise and biting interview style' and has a reputation for getting to the meat of the story. He has worked as a freelance entertainment journalist for more than 22 years, covering the private lives and careers of such celebrities as Marie Osmond, Britney Spears, and Tom Cruise, to name a few. He is the author of the 2014 release 'The Road to Happiness' through Creative Partners Gift Books. 'The Life and Career of Ellen Degeneres' is expected to hit stores this year.

The long-awaited sophomore album from British singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran, "x," arrives in stores, DSPs and all streaming partners today via Atlantic Records.

Drama Desk Award nominee and YouTube sensation Christina Bianco and cabaret star Velma Celli make their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut in Divallusion at Assembly Checkpoint from Thursday 31st July - Thursday 21st August at 19.25 (20.25 ends).

Tonight was the 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards and the winners have been announced. It was a big night for The Young and the Restless, which took home 6 Emmys. CBS also managed to take home 8.

Last night, June 20, The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced the winners of the 41st Annual Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy Awards in a sold-out, grand gala for over 1,200 attendees at the Westin Bonaventure, in downtown Los Angeles. Scroll down for the full list of winners!

The last of the top 10 finalists were revealed in last night's episode of “Last Comic Standing,” ending the semi-final rounds of the Emmy-nominated series. The exciting challenge rounds, in which comics will be tested in a variety of comedy disciplines ranging from sketch comedy to improv, will kick off Thursday, June 26 (10-11 p.m. ET) on NBC with guest mentor Cheryl Hines (“Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Suburgatory”).

The Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) presents the 4th annual Critics' Choice Television Awards, which are being broadcast live on The CW from the Beverly Hilton Hotel tonight, June 19, 2014 (8:00pm ET/8:00pm PT) and hosted by actor/comedian Cedric the Entertainer. Cedric is currently the star, co-creator and executive producer of the hit comedy series The Soul Man on TV Land as well as one of the stars of The Original Kings of Comedy. Scroll down for the full list of winners!