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The gay Emmy-winner will join the judging panel alongside current judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, on Fox’s hit TV talent show.

 
The arrival of the 51-year-old follows the departure of former judge Paula Abdul. During the early rounds of the competition’s current series, Abdul’s spot was filled with a series of guest judges, including country singer Shania Twain and Spice Girl Victoria Beckham.
 
Unlike all former and current judges on American Idol - the US version of Pop Idol, the British show that launched the career of Will Young in 2002 -  DeGeneres boasts little experience of the music industry, leaving some fans to question her place on the show.
 
However, the entertainer has defended her right to judge despite her lack of experience: “I'm not looking at it in a critical way from the producer's mind. I'm looking at it as a person who is going to buy the music and is going to relate to that person," she has enthused.
 
The much-loved actress and comedienne has forged a successful career in TV, and is most famous for her role in the popular 90s sitcom Ellen and as talk show host of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.