Ellen DeGeneres spruiks her judge’s credentials
Thursday, September 24th, 2009
Ellen DeGeneres opened her daily chat show by answering critics of her upcoming role as a judge on American Idol.
“I’ll tell you right now, how I know I’m going to be a great judge. I’ve spent my whole life being judged. So I know what it’s like,” she told the Ellen audience.
DeGeneres said there had been a lot of “chatter” about her looming role, replacing the wildly popular Paula Abdul for the ninth season, which kicks off in January. She said she would be kind, compassionate, empathetic and truthful. “I will be an honest judge without being mean.”
She also pointed to the changing times, saying the US had its first black president and would also get its “first blonde judge”.
The show then cut to footage of Abdul’s spoof mimicking DeGeneres and her dance moves. Ellen took the joke and said Abdul’s skit inspired a new dance move she had never tried. Critics have suggested the comic actress turned TV host lacks the music credentials for the role.
DeGeneres added: “I’m very excited to be on the show. I knew people would have opinions and I did not want to know what they were because why should I take that stuff in? I try not to watch anything that I think is going to be talking about me. I try not to read anything. Nothing. I don’t even read the back of a cereal box.”
