Tag: american idol ellen degeneres

American Idol Will Reveal Some of Top 24 on Tuesday

American Idol will break with tradition on Tuesday night by announcing a partial list of the top 24 contestants during the two hour special.

American Idol judges & host (FOX)
'American Idol' judges & host (FOX)

Judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres will deliberate following the solo performances on Tuesday and announced some of the top 24 American Idol semifinalists early.

The remainder of the top 24 American Idol contestants will be announced, as usual, on Wednesday night’s show. This marks the first time in nine seasons that part of the top 24 contestants will be announced in two parts.

American Idol airs this week on Tuesday at 8pm to 10pm ET/PT and Wednesday from 9pm to 10pm ET/PT on Fox.

>> Previously:  Katy Perry Slams Kara DioGuardi at American Idol Audition

Paula Abdul Angry Over Ellen DeGeneres American Idol Replacement?

So what does Paula Abdul think about Ellen DeGeneres replacing her as the fourth judge on American Idol? Regardless of what she might say in public, rumor has it Paula Abdul is privately not pleased about having her seat taken by the lesbian daytime TV diva.

paula-abdul
Paula Abdul, photo: Fox

According to rumors, most notably from RadarOnline.com, Paula Abdul is shocked and dismayed over her replacement on American Idol by Ellen DeGeneres. An unidentified source reportedly told the gossip site Abdul is “very upset” by the news. Not, however, because she doesn’t like Ellen DeGeneres or thinks she won’t make a good judge.

No, Paula Abdul is reportedly unhappy because she wasn’t given any advance notice of Ellen’s addition to the show. Speculation continues to fly that Abdul has been trying to negotiate some kind of backdoor deal with Fox to return to American Idol. If true, this pretty much slams the door on that whole idea.

Ellen, meanwhile, told American Idol host Ryan Seacrest that she doesn’t want to be thought of as the “evil [person] taking Paula’s job away” and hopes “Paula is okay with it.”

Update: After a long pause following the annoucement DeGeneres would be joining the show, Paula Abdul finally released an official response to her replacement on Thursday. “American Idol is a fantastic show that offers an invaluable platform to young talent. Ellen DeGeneres is wildly funny and talented in her own right. I wish her and the show only the best of luck,” Abdul said in a press statement.

Ellen DeGeneres Joins American Idol!

Emmy-winning daytime TV host Ellen DeGeneres made an astounding announcement on Wednesday – she’s joining American Idol! That’s right, Ellen DeGeneres will replace Paula Abdul as the fourth judge on the ninth season of American Idol, set to debut in January, 2010.

ellen-degeneres

In a Fox press statement released on Wednesday, Ellen DeGeneres said she is “thrilled to be the new judge on American Idol. I’ve watched since the beginning, and I’ve always been a huge fan. So getting this job is a dream come true, and think of all the money I’ll save from not having to text in my vote.”

The sixth season of Ellen’s own talk show just launched this week, so the funny lady won’t be able to join Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi during the audition process. Instead, she’ll step in after the audition rounds to lend her quirky humor to the contestant evaluations on the show.

“We are thrilled to have Ellen DeGeneres join the … judges’ table this season, Fox reality TV Mike Darnell guru said in a press statement. She is truly one of America’s funniest people and a fantastic performer who understands what it’s like to stand up in front of audiences and entertain them every day. We feel that her vast entertainment experience – combined with her quick wit and passion for music – will add a fresh, new energy to the show.”

What we really want to know though is whether or not Ellen will dance along to her favorite performances? You know it’s just gotta happen at least once…