Comedienne Ellen DeGeneres Is Over 'American Idol,' Quits After One Season
After one season, Ellen DeGeneres has decided not to return to 'American Idol.' Kevin Winter/Getty Images North America hide caption
"The Idol Apocalypse is here," New York magazine announced yesterday. After one year on the American Idol judging panel, kind-hearted comedienne Ellen DeGeneres decided to call it quits.
"Dim the lights...I've voted myself off American Idol," she posted on her Twitter feed.
"A couple months ago, I let FOX and the 'American Idol' producers know that this didn't feel like the right fit for me," DeGeneres said. "I told them I wouldn't leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next."
It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for. 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. I loved the experience working on 'Idol' and I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be.
Most TV critics didn't herald her tenure on the show. According to New York, "many close to the show were disappointed in DeGeneres's performance, saying she had troubles bonding with Cowell early on during her run."
The two ultimately patched up their differences, but DeGeneres never seemed to find her mojo, often seeming more like a scared deer than a witty musical expert.
On the Arts Beat blog, with a three-minute video, Dave Itzkoff "pay[s] homage to Ms. Degeneres' contributions to the ninth 'American Idol' season and the overall quality of the judging, such as they were."