Wow this sounds like a really dumb idea! Ellen used to be a really funny standup comedian and she does a good job when she's hosted the Emmys. But on Idol, she'll be even less critical of bad performances than Paula ever was. Plus she's gonna be doing her patented Ellen schtick, which has grown tired IMO.

http://tv.yahoo.com/american-idol/show/349...-judge-20090909

She got the job because she's a big name, she likes music (with the dancing on her own show) and she'll be the "nice" one instead of Paula. It's stunt casting, as a friend of mine said.

When I first heard about it this morning, I thought it was a joke. Guess not. This is a bad idea on sooooo many levels. If anyone saw her as a guest judge on "So You Think You Can Dance" this summer, you know why. She loved everybody that performed. Even if they didn't dance well. She'd probably do the same on Idol. But she has no singing resume' at all. Her brother is in a great band in New Orleans, but that was about it. Plus, on SYTYCD, she kept doing one liners that after awhile got pretty annoying and was just eating up time. Can you imagine her taking up Simon's airtime? One more thing. They kept announcing all these guest judges for next season. How is that going to work if they already have 4 regular judges?

I think they should keep Ellen and get rid of the other 3 so-called judges.

She should thank Adam Lambert, for making gay so fashionable on AI this year.

Fads tend to come and go quickly though.

If the political winds change they may have to look for a birther who likes everybody's singing - except Obama's obviously.

The guest judges are for various audition rounds. Ellen takes over after that.

Until they announced a fourth judge, they were announcing that Katy Perry and Shania Twain would be guest "judges"- I wonder if they will transition them into "mentors" now versus judges.

RE: Ellen- she said that her role will be the "average joe" - less commentary on the technical merits of the performance but more if there was a true emotional connection with the song ...

No, they're judges. Within just a couple of days after the news of Paula's leaving broke, they started filming the second round of auditions, where the contestants who made it through the initial screening (by producers/staff/whoever) go up in front of the judges to try and get to Hollywood.