American Idol Judge Ellen DeGeneres is an American actress, comedian, talk show host, and was recently named the newest judge on the ninth season of American Idol, replacing Paula Abdul. Born January 26, 1958 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Ellen DeGeneres was the daughter of Betty Jane and Elliott DeGeneres. She has one brother, Vance DeGeneres, who is a musician and producer. Ellen’s parents divorced when she was 16 years old. Her mother remarried and Ellen moved with her mother and stepfather to Atlanta, Texas where she graduated from high school in May 1976.

DeGeneres had aspired to be a veterinarian, but decided against it because she says she was not ‘book smart’. To make ends meet, Ellen worked as a legal secretary, waitress, hostess, bartender and a house painter before starting her stand-up comedy career in the early 1980’s. At the young age of 23, Ellen DeGeneres began performing her comedy routines in a local coffeehouse. She was discovered in 1986 when a booking agent was sent by Jay Leno to watch her routine at the Improv in Hollywood. He enjoyed it so much, Ellen DeGeneres was invited to perform on The Tonight Show.  It was then that she earned the honor of being the only female comic ever be invited to sit and “chat” with Johnny Carson on the famed Tonight Show couch during her first visit.

From that point on, DeGeneres found herself making regular appearances on the talk show circuit. She appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, and ABC’s Prime Time Live. Her witty sense of humor won the public over and she earned her own sitcom originally named “These Friends of Mine,” but the title was changed to Ellen in 1994.

Ellen DeGeneres caused quite a controversy in April 1997 as the first lead in sitcom history to acknowledge her homosexuality on air. She came out first in an interview on the Oprah Winfrey show and then her character came out on the sitcom to her therapist, played by Ms. Winfrey. One ABC affiliate refused to air the episode and some of the show’s sponsors dropped their advertisement over fear of controversy. Though the show had many supporters, especially from the gay-friendly community, and even earned an Emmy for the coming out episode, Ellen was cancelled in 1998. Her personal life caused a fervor in the Hollywood community and she became a target for the paparazzi. After many high-profile romances, Ellen DeGeneres married Portia de Rossi in December 2004 after the legalization of same sex marriages in California.

Talk show host DeGeneres made her return to television in 2003 with her daytime talk show, Ellen. It has won her an Emmy, numerous People’s Choice Awards, and several Daytime Emmy Awards. These honors have made Ellen DeGeneres a top contender for award show host. She has hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards twice and the Academy Awards once.

In September 2009, American Idol Judge Ellen DeGeneres was chosen to fill the  seat vacated by Paula Abdul on Fox’s show. The show executives had been searching for a replacement for several months before deciding on Ellen DeGeneres. Her keen eye for observation and quick humor will make for tasty fodder on the show this season. It would seem that everything Ellen DeGeneres touches turns to gold.