'Idol' Bloodbath: Ellen Out, Kara Fired, J.Lo In

Ellen DeGeneres announced Thursday night that she will leave American Idol after just one season, and reportedly singer/actress Jennifer Lopez will take her place at the judge’s table.

"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," Ellen said in a statement. "It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I’d bargained for." Peter Rice, chairman of entertainment for Fox Networks Group, said there were no hard feelings over DeGeneres’ decision. "We were fortunate to receive the humor, energy and love for talent that she brought to the show," Rice said.

Lopez, who served as a guest-mentor to contestants in 2007, is fresh off the critical and commercial failure film, The Back-Up Plan, but has an upcoming album due to be released in September, and has sold 25 million albums worldwide to date.

The New York Daily News is reporting that Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has been offered Simon Cowell’s vacated position on the panel. In an effort to revert to a three-judge format, numerous published reports say producers have fired Kara DioGuardi, leaving a trifecta of Jenny from the Block, the Demon of Screamin’, and old standby Randy Jackson.
 – ANDREW BANKIN