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American Idol judge Simon Cowell talks to new judge comedian Ellen DeGeneres - Source: ONE News -
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Comedian Ellen DeGeneres finally took her seat at the American
Idol judging table, boosting audiences for the aging singing
contest but dividing critics and fans in her nationwide audition on
the most-watched TV show in the United States.
Some 27.7 million Americans tuned in for the debut of DeGeneres,
according to early ratings data, up 12% from last week and the
second biggest audience since the season premiere in January.
Tuesday's audience was also up four percent from last year at this
stage of Fox television's five-month search for the next potential
pop star, Fox said.
DeGeneres, who has her own popular daytime TV talk show, replaced
Paula Abdul who quit last year in a contract dispute.
One fan on the official AmericanIdol.com online forum commented
saying "Like Ellen, but not the same without Paula."
Fellow Idol judge Kara DioGuardi told journalists she thought
DeGeneres brought humour to the show and said viewers should give
her a chance.
"The show viewers see is edited in a specific way... But I felt
sitting next to her that she had a good handle on whether a
contestant had potential, whether they had star quality," DioGuardi
said in a conference call.
"I think Paula and Ellen are completely different and I think they
both bring something valuable to the table. To judge on one show is
very difficult to do. I think (Ellen) did an incredible job for her
first time there," she said.
The success of DeGeneres, 52, is seen as key to American Idol's
future given slipping ratings since 2006 and the upcoming departure
in May of acid-tongued British judge Simon Cowell, arguably one of
the show's biggest attractions.
MTV's Jim Cantiello said he had changed his initial negative
opinion of the choice of DeGeneres, saying she bought the missing
element of passion back to panel.
Entertainment Weekly's Michael Slezak also had a change of heart,
saying DeGeneres filled the Abdul chair with a level of dignity and
purpose that it had never before experienced.
But Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times said her debut turned out a
fizzle and added; "Quietly bubbly and refreshing enough, DeGeneres
said nothing of consequence."
As for previous media reports of friction between DeGeneres and
Cowell, there was little evidence of it in a show whose focus was
firmly on weeding out the best contestants from the pack that got
through nationwide auditions and made it to Hollywood.
