by Jael Ravalyn

Created on: August 02, 2010   Last Updated: August 03, 2010

"Dim the lights ... I've voted myself off American Idol," Ellen Degeneres posts on Twitter following Fox’s official announcement she was to step down from the judges' panel next season. Ellen is leaving the show while it ranks number one for television programming this past 9th season.

"Ellen has walked away from a television institution after one year, but I'm sure it's the right decision," Conan O'Brien tweeted. Ellen assured the public how carefully she weighed this decision to leave with a personal statement featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show web site, “A couple months ago, I let FOX and the "American Idol" producers know that this didn't feel like the right fit for me.”

Excitement over Ellen filling Simon Cowell’s seat when he left to concentrate on another show swelled when CNN announced she would join the judges table a year ago.  She will be missed by American Idol as she made quite an impact. Simon Fuller, both the creator and producer of the show, said to People magazine of the departing judge, “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.”

“I will miss her on ‘Idol.’  She’s one of the kindest and most talented people in Hollywood!” Ryan Seacrest, an American Idol staple, tweets about Ellen.

“I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent…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,” Ellen continues about her decision on her show’s website.  Speaking of Ellen’s show, her excitement over American Idol was demonstrated by her line-up featuring Idol finale contestants like Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox.

So, what did inspire Ellen to leave Idol? For one, her own Ellen Degeneres Show which she had to juggle with the American Idol tour, “my work schedule became more than I bargained for.”
She had to negotiate between her show and the American Idol schedule. 

Moreover, as Ellen summarized, “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.”  Ellen loved Idol because it was about helping out with a persons’ dream but shied from crushing the same.  To better understand this side of Ellen, it helps to check out the videos she sometimes features: right now is link to a film of one turtle helping another stuck turtle to get back on its feet.  That is Ellen, to help people culture their talent, not bring them down.

As former judge, Simon Cowell comments about Ellen’s departure, “"As I got to know Ellen, I grew to really, really like her. I have huge respect for her because she's always been in control of her own destiny."
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CNN2009

 The Hollywood Reporter

MTV.com

People Magazine  July 2010

Popeater.com 2010

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