Comedian was right when she said judging role wasn't 'right fit.'By Eric Ditzian
Ellen DeGeneres and Simon Cowell
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/ WireImage
In the end, Ellen DeGeneres' run behind the "American Idol" judges' table lasted just 10 months. After signing onto the reality competition last September and delivering an underwhelming debut during the show's ninth season, the comedian announced Thursday that she's parting ways with the show.
After saying the show wasn't the "right fit" for her, she added, "I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings," she announced in a statement on her website.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Ellen's exit is that neither she nor "Idol" producers realized, until recently, that it was never the right fit. A woman who's made a career out of being nice to people simply was out of place on a show dedicated to critiquing people, often harshly and without mercy. Last fall, though, all involved had a rather different perspective on matters.
"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," DeGeneres said a month after Paula Abdul abruptly left the show.
Fox reality-TV chief Mike Darnell had actually approached DeGeneres' reps
with the idea, even though producers also entertained the notion of returning to a three-judge format (as had been the case before Kara DioGuardi came aboard in season eight). Ellen was reportedly ecstatic about joining "Idol," and a deal was quickly hashed out.
Yet before she could even make her debut, Simon Cowell announced he was leaving the show he helped make a pop culture institution. A sense of impending and unwelcome change — and, some might say, doom — enveloped the program as Ellen made her debut. And it really was quite a debut: She was funny but still took the job seriously and was adept at sprinkling her criticism with I-want-you-to-succeed compassion. "You're hiding inside and just scared to death," she told one contestant. "You gotta let go of that, because those nerves are gonna kill you."
We started to wonder if in fact Ellen was what the "Idol" family needed all along. Things changed, however, once the live shows began
in late February. She was nervous and struggled to compress her comments into TV-friendly bites, which was strange considering all her on-camera experience. If we hoped Ellen would provide some competition to Simon's must-hear commentary, we were most certainly wrong.
As the show pushed forward, Ellen didn't seem to improve much. Far too many of her comments began with, "I agree with ...," rather than original insight. She seemed almost apologetic as she foisted criticism on contestants clearly on the skids. All too often she'd pop off a joke rather than delivering an enlightening take on a performance. By the final rounds, it really did seem as if Ellen, much like Simon, had mentally checked-out of her judging duties.
And so it comes as no great shock that Ellen has decided to call it quits after just one season. Her talents are far better suited for talk-show work than reality-competition evisceration. Ellen made the right call, and she did so with class and wit. As she tweeted Thursday night, "Dim the lights ... I've voted myself off 'American Idol.' "
What do you think of Ellen DeGeneres leaving "American Idol," and who do you think would be a good replacement for her and Simon Cowell? Sound off in the comments below!
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