Ellen DeGeneres quits American Idol

Following the lead of outgoing judge Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres has quit her job on the panel of American Idol.

The chat show host and comedienne joined the show just one year ago as a replacement for Paula Abdul but seemed to always struggle with giving the hopefuls honest, if sometimes critical, feedback. By the end of the season she was the light entertainment person who joked about bananas and Snooki from Jersey Shore.

The comedian announced on her website that she would be stepping down adding that she didn’t think she was the “right fit”.

“A couple months ago, I let Fox and the American Idol producers know that this didn’t feel like the right fit for me. 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,” she wrote.

“It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for. I also realised 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.”

Idol creator and executive producer Simon Fuller added: “I loved Ellen’s passion for the artists and her nurturing skills. She brought honesty and optimism to our judging panel and I will miss her greatly.”