The latest result of the new Harris Poll say Oprah Winfrey is America’s favorite television personality, and Glenn Beck is surprising most people with his landing the No. 2 position.

The annual Harris Poll used data collected from 2,276 adults from Dec. 7-14.

Jay Leno, who was No. 1 last year (Winfrey was No. 4), dropped to No. 3. However, representatives from Harris clarified that the poll was conducted before the recent late-night battle. So if the poll was conducted now, Leno might be even lower?

Here’s the top ten list of Most Popular TV Stars according to the latest Harris Poll.

1. Oprah Winfrey
2. Glenn Beck
3. Jay Leno
4. Ellen DeGeneres and Hugh Laurie from House (tie)
6. Jon Stewart
7. Charlie Sheen
8. Mark Harmon from NCIS
9. David Letterman
10. Bill O’Reilly

Conan O’Brien and NBC have reached a $45 million deal for the red-haired host to exit The Tonight Show.

This deal comes only seven months after Conan took over The Tonight Show. O’Brien will get more than $33 million, NBC says. The rest will go to his 200-strong staff in severance pay.

Conan’s final show will be Friday, with Tom Hanks scheduled to appear as well as Will Ferrell – the first guest O’Brien welcomed as “Tonight” host last June – and musical guest Neil Young.

“In the end, Conan was appreciative of the steps NBC made to take care of his staff and crew, and decided to supplement the severance they were getting out of his own pocket,” his manager, Gavin Polone, told The Wall Street Journal. “Now he just wants to get back on the air as quickly as possible.”

O’Brien will be free to begin another TV job as soon as September, NBC said. There has been speculation on where he might go next. ABC (which airs “Nightline” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”) has said it wasn’t interested, while Fox, which lacks a network late-night show, expressed appreciation for his show – but nothing more. Comedy Central has also been mentioned.

Jay Leno will return as host of The Tonight Show on March 1.

Conan O’Brien’s days as the host of The Tonight Show might be numbered and the gloves are off.

Last night O’Brien finally acknowledged the two-way street that is the Leno-NBC love affair.

“Hosting The Tonight Show has been the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me —and I just want to say to the kids out there watching: You can do anything you want in life. Unless Jay Leno wants to do it too,” O’Brien said after introducing himself as the guy who’s been practicing the phrase, “Who ordered the mochaccino grande?”

Conan O’Brien is pissed (can’t blame him) and has released a statement. O’Brien says he will not host The Tonight Show if it is moved to 12:05 a.m.

NBC has announced it is moving The Jay Leno Show to 11:35 p.m. in March, moving O’Brien’s Tonight Show back 30 minutes.

Here’s Conan’s statement.

People of Earth:

Yours, Conan

Last night in his monologue, Craig Ferguson weighed in on the shuffling around of the NBC late night shows.

It’s no secret that transitioning Jay Leno into a 10:00 PM time slot and moving Conan O’Brien to 11:30 PM has been a ratings nightmare for NBC.

It is being reported that Leno is going to leave his current 10:00 PM time and slide back into the 11:30 PM slot. Here’s the supposed plan: Leno will go on hiatus beginning Feb. 1, making room for the Olympics to air during that time. Once the Olympics are over, Leno will come back, but he will be on at 11:30 PM.

Here’s what we don’t know yet: Will Leno’s show be just a half hour and then Conan will follow? Is this the end of Conan’s show? Will it be called “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno (which would mean that Conan is out)? How does all of this impact Jimmy Fallon, who currently airs after Conan?

If Jay Leno wants to succeed in NBC’s prime time this fall, he’ll have to do it without the help of ABC and CBS talent. Insiders at both networks confirmed to Entertainment Weeklythat they’ve told their stars to just say no if bookers attempt to recruit them for The Jay Leno Show, which will air five nights a week at 10 p.m. beginning Sept. 14.

The reason? It makes no sense for the stars of scripted series from ABC and CBS. “It’s nothing personal toward Leno,” says one network source. It remains to be seen whether the newest edict will hurt Leno’s chances, though CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler recently quipped at a press conference, “NBC will declare victory [for] whatever ratings he gets, so it really doesn’t matter.”

A spokesperson for Leno declined to comment. For Hollywood publicists, meanwhile, the latest booking rule adds another turn to the labyrinthine system of when and where stars can appear on network and syndicated talk shows.

For instance, David Letterman and Conan O’Briendon’t want to book A-Listers who’ve just appeared on the other’s late-night show. The same goes for Jimmy Kimmel and Craig Ferguson, though newbie Jimmy Fallon is “the nicest of all” and will “pretty much take anybody,” offers one publicist.

Daytime shows have their own list of demands as well: Live With Regis and Kelly, for example, will take a guest who showed up on Good Morning America, but not The View, while The Ellen DeGeneres Show doesn’t want stars who’ve already been on Rachael Ray or The Bonnie Hunt Show. “[The rules] are arbitrary and capricious,” says another public relations exec.

 

Jerry Seinfeld, who next stars in the new season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” will be the first guest to drop by “The Jay Leno Show” when it makes its prime-time debut on Sept. 14.

NBC announced Friday that Seinfeld will be Jay Leno’s first and only guest for the premiere. The two are longtime friends and Leno has referred to Seinfeld in the press as someone he consulted with while deciding whether to accept NBC’s offer to launch a new 10 p.m. nightly vehicle.

During the TCA press tour, Leno said he’d have only one guest per episode — two max — on his new show, and no desk. He also revealed that “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams would pop up for bits regularly, as would a team of correspondents, including comics D.L. Hughley and Mikey Day.

Previously announced musical guests for Leno’s premiere include Kanye West, Jay Z and Rihanna.

Check out President Obama’s visit to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno!

 

Scarlett Johannson blew her nose on The Tonight Show with Jay Lenoand that used Kleenex has sold for thousands on Ebay. Yes, thousands of dollars. For a used Kleenex. Full of snot. And we’re in a recession.

Scarlett was still under-the-weather from a cold she picked up from her co-star in “The Spirit,” Samuel L. Jackson.

“I feel like it’s valuable in some way,” the actress said, “I feel like I could sell it on eBay.”

Sensing an opportunity, Leno handed her a box of tissues and encouraged her to got to town. The resulting wad (complete with bonus of smear of lipstick and Johansson’s autograph) was then listed on eBay.

Bidding started on Ebay for 99 cents and ended at $5,300. 83 people bid on it.

The money will go to the charity USA Harvest, an organization that distributes food restaurants don’t sell to people in need.

At least the money is going to a good cause!