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So much for the idea that Paula Abdul might reach some sort of accord with "American Idol" and return to the show for its ninth season.Nope.
Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres will be "Idol's" fourth judge in Season 9, Fox announced Wednesday. Before she begins her stint, a series of guest judges will be part of the audition process. Those guest judges include Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Kristin Chenoweth, Joe Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry and Shania Twain.
“I’m thrilled to be the new judge on 'American Idol,'” said DeGeneres. ”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.”
TV Guide posits that DeGeneres will be a softer judge who will counteract Kara DioGuardi's judging style.
""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," DeGeneres said at a taping of her talk show, according to TV Guide.
Back in August, when the news broke that Abdul was leaving the show, some thought that she and Fox might patch things up before Season 9 began. But Fox, which started lining up guest judges within days of Abdul's departure, is done with Paula, at least as far as Season 9 is concerned.
It's something of a risk for the show, which has seen some ratings erosion in recent seasons. Will DeGeneres' brand of folksy humor be as popular as Abdul's patented brand of erratic effusiveness? Who knows.
Regardless, it's a shame that Fox isn't reverting back to the three-judge format. Four judges seemed to be one too many in Season 8, when many episodes of "Idol" ran long. That was quite irritating.
Critic Alan Sepinwall also didn't like the four-judge format, and he thinks that the new season could be "awkward," despite DeGeneres' ease on camera.
"Take Kara - and/or the equally useless Randy Jackson - out of the mix, and this probably all sorts itself out nicely by the end of the semi-final round. Leave four judges in there, and make one of them an incredibly high-profile newbie, and this has the potential to be awkward for at least half a season, if not more." Sepinwall wrote.
If you're an Abdul fan, by the way, you're in luck: She'll appear in the Sept. 20 episode of Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva."
Taken from: The Watcher: Ellen DeGeneres takes Paula's place on 'Idol'
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