One of the most popular TV chat show hosts in the United States Ellen DeGeneres is now the new judge on TV show "American Idol" and to replace Paula Abdul in the four-person panel when the competition returns for a ninth season in January on the Fox network.
DeGeneres, who has no musical background but says she is an avid fan of the show, told "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest on Thursday that she would be the people's voice on the panel.
"I'm just a fan like everyone else," she told Seacrest in an interview on his Los Angeles morning radio show. "The people choose. Ultimately it comes down to them, not some executive in the music industry. I hope to be that voice."
Fans were divided over the addition of DeGeneres. According to a poll on AOL's pop culture site Popeater.com, just 45 percent of respondents thought DeGeneres was a good replacement for Abdul.
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Friday, September 11, 2009 at 9:08 AMLabels: American Idol