US chat show host Ellen DeGeneres is to become the fourth judge on American Idol¹, taking over the spot recently vacated by singer Paula Abdul.

美国访谈节目主持Ellen DeGeneres将要成为American Idol的第四位评判，接替歌手Paula Abdul空出来的位置。

Abdul (centre) had been on the Idol panel from the show's beginning

The 51-year-old will join Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi next year for the show's ninth season.

DeGeneres - who will not be giving up her chat show - said that she had been "dying to tell everyone" the news.

"Hopefully, I'm the people's point of view because I'm just like you," she said, as she filmed her show this week.

"I'm not looking at it in a critical way, from the producer's mind," she continued.

"I'm looking at it as a person who is going to buy the music and is going to relate to that person."

'Dream come true'

Filming of the new season's American Idol auditions²（听力，试听） have seen Abdul replaced by a number of guest judges, among them Victoria Beckham, Katy Perry and Shania Twain.

DeGeneres - who said the job was "a dream come true" - will join the show following the preliminary auditions.

The comedienne（喜剧女演员）, best known for her sitcom³（情景喜剧） Ellen, has previously⁴ guest judged on So You Think You Can Dance, another US talent show.

American Idol's executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz described the one-time Academy Awards hostess as "one of America's foremost entertainers".

"Beyond her incredible sense of humour and love of music, she brings with her an immense（巨大的，广阔的） warmth and compassion⁵（同情，怜悯） that is almost palpable."

American Idol has been a launch-pad for several singing stars, notably⁶ Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood and the show's first winner Kelly Clarkson.

Abdul, who had been with the show since its inception⁷（开端，开始） in 2002, announced she was leaving the programme in August.