ELLEN OUSTS HERSELF FROM IDOL

Delivering an appraisal of her performance on American Idol that was harsher than any she has delivered to a contestant, Ellen DeGeneres announced Thursday that she is quitting America’s most-watched TV series. “A couple of months ago, I let Fox and the American Idol producers know that this didn’t feel like the right fit for me,” she said in a statement. “I 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,” she continued. Various reports indicated that DeGeneres had agreed to stay on until a replacement could be found. They indicated that a deal with Jennifer Lopez was concluded last week and that it will be announced at the Television Critics Tour in Beverly Hills on Monday. Meanwhile the gossip website TMZ reported on Thursday that fellow judge Kara DioGuardi has been let go and that she will be replaced by Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, a questionable scenario given the fact that the band just launched a summer tour last week and audition rounds for Idol are already underway.