Ellen DeGeneres: Named as fourth 'American Idol' judge

Ellen DeGeneres: Named as fourth 'American Idol' judge

Ellen DeGeneres is dancing her way into the fourth judge's seat on "American Idol."

On Wednesday Fox made the announcement that the talk show host and comedian, who admittedly has no formal music experience, just a passion for tunes, will join Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi for the ninth season. Thus ih has thrown water to all speculations and confirmed the departure of Paula Abdul, the original third judge who announced that she was quitting amidst a contract dispute in July.

Wednesday's announcement came as a shock to many of the singing competition's fans, who did not expect the Emmy-winning talk show host to fill Abdul's spot. Ellen DeGeneres told her talk show audience in an episode scheduled to air on Thursday that she had been "dying to tell everyone" and would not abandon her chatfest. Instead, she will have "a day job and a night job."

She quipped, "The times we're living in," "we're all doing that."

Paula Abdul had been replaced by a succession of guest judges across the country as "Idol" started next season's auditions, which will be aired in the month of January. Amongst them are Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Joe Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry and Shania Twain and not fifty one year old Ellen DeGeneres, who will join the ninth season following the show's tryout rounds.

"Hopefully, I'm the people's point of view because I'm just like you," "I sit at home and I watch it, and I don't have that technical ... I'm not looking at it in a critical way from the producer's mind. I'm looking at it as a person who is going to buy the music and is going to relate to that person." DeGeneres said this on her talk show.

It would not be DeGeneres' first time in a reality TV judge's seat or on "Idol." Earlier this summer she served as a guest judge on "So You Think You Can Dance," critiquing the dancing competition's top eight finalists. In 2007, she was the co-host of "Idol Gives Back," the singing contest's charity event. She returned the next year in a pre-taped segment.

DeGeneres has enjoyed a successful reign as the host of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" for the past six years, although her four-year streak as the talk show host Daytime Emmy winner ended this year when Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Sherri Shepherd and Barbara Walters from ABC's "The View" were awarded the prize for the first time.

"Idol" executive producer and FremantleMedia North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz stated, "Beyond her incredible sense of humor and love of music, she brings with her an immense warmth and compassion that is almost palpable." "She is one of America's foremost entertainers, and we cannot wait to have her join our team."

With the four judges' seats now filled, it is highly unlikely Abdul will return to her post on "Idol." Known for her sugary sweet but often obscure evaluations, Abdul had served as judge alongside Cowell and Jackson since the show's debut in 2002. All the producers attempted to shake up the franchise last season by adding songwriter DioGuardi as a fourth judge.

Since departing "Idol," Paula Abdul has gone diva, filming a cameo for Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva" as a gavel-banging, glammed-up version of herself and signing on to host the live "VH1 Divas" concert Sept. 17. Abdul has yet to announce a steady job to replace her role on the Fox singing contest, but she told TV Guide last week she'd like to host a talk show.