Ellen DeGeneres to Replace Paula Abdul on American Idol Just As I Was Starting Not to Care

My friend Mona is a huge American Idol fan. She's not really the celebrity-worshipping type, but she can be talking very reasonably about the deficit or the latest NASA mission and then all of a sudden get tongue-tied and blubbery when she starts recounting one of the Idol finalists doing a disco version of a Whitesnake song.

So I guess I should have known better when I got a two word text message from her a few weeks ago that said, "SHE'S GONE!!!!!" but I had to go and overreact and assume that her elderly mother had died, the one with the mysterious cough and swollen legs. When I finally got Mona on the phone a few excruciating minutes later I realized she had interrupted her important meeting at her ad agency job to let me know that Paula Abdul had left American Idol.

(If you've ever wondered what executives are doing when they're busily tapping away at their Blackberrys during meetings, wonder no more.)

Yesterday I received another text message from Mona that said, "ELLEN??!!"  I had a feeling it was Idol related and after a quick look at the internet I learned that Ellen DeGeneres was taking over the spot at the judge's table that Abdul had left in August over money disputes. Thank goodness for my friend's ability to text while in the middle of bicycling down a crowded L.A. street while carrying groceries or I wouldn't have a story today.

Fox made the announcement on Wednesday and DeGeneres told her talk show audience in an episode scheduled to air today, stressing that she wouldn't be leaving the show but that she would have “a day job and a night job.” She joked, "The times we’re living in, we’re all doing that.”

“Hopefully, I’m the people’s point of view because I’m just like you,” DeGeneres continued. “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.”

In an official statement she released, DeGeneres quipped, "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."

Personally, I think Ellen's a great replacement, and it might get me to watch the show again. I got tired of the whole thing and skipped to the final three shows last season, and I wasn't interested in their latest revolving panel of guest judges. I finally texted Mona back with, "I guess P-dul wasn't 'irreplacable' after all" but she had already moved on - her next text said, "Man Boobs!" and I just assumed she was talking about Simon. I certainly hope she wasn't talking about her mother.

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Comments

[Fawn Amber]

LMAO @ Man-Boobs.
I think that Ellen will be a great replacement - I think she is universally well-liked and I thought she did a really good job on SYTYCD last season. So yay!

[LiteralDan]

I have to think she might regret having to juggle both gigs once the show starts up.

She should be easier to listen to, and watch, than Paula ever was.

[Issa]

I may have to watch it this season, just to see how it changes.

[sweatpantsmom]

I'll be happy just to be spared the 2nd grade antics of the Paula/Simon show.

[sweatpantsmom]

I get the feeling that after 6 years, she was planning on ending her talk show anyways, so this was an opportunity to jump into something else. Either way, I hear it's pissing the hell out of Paula.

[sweatpantsmom]

Yeah, I'm going to give it another shot. Even my kids got tired of watching it, though. You know when your 11yr old calls something 'cheesy' it must be really bad.

[Amanda of Shamelessly Sassy]

I'm sort of excited. I'm a huge Ellen fan.

[Suzy Q]

What? Ellen's ending her talk show? Say it ain't so!

I like Ellen as a replacement for Paula, whom I just could not stand. I FF'd through ALL of her comments, and I like that this news is pissing her off.