Oprah Winfrey is ending her daytime program, The Oprah Winfrey Show, in 2011. Of course, you already saw this on Twitter or on someone's Facebook status or got an email about it or was IMed...or was told in person, I guess...if you're lame.

If you're Ellen DeGeneres, though, you find out by picking up the phone and having Oprah on the other end tell you. That's like God calling you or me, but in this case, the caller actually has true absolute power.

Ellen DeGeneres has reacted to the news that Oprah Winfrey will announce on Friday that she will end her network television talk show in 2011.

"Right before I came out here, I got a call from Oprah and she told me that she is announcing that next year will be her last year," Ellen revealed to her audience on Thursday, following a taping of her show. "It will be her 25th year and she feels like it's time for her to stop."

Ellen credited Oprah for opening up the market and allowing talk show hosts like herself to make it.

"I don't think I could be here without her. I think she has blazed a trail," Ellen said. "She is an amazing woman. She will always be the Queen of daytime television and she also said she is leaving me all of her money. I was like, thanks Oprah, thank you."

Ellen said she has fond memories of her recent O Magazine cover shoot with Oprah and she can't wait to see what happens with Lady O in the future.

"She is an amazing woman. I love her and we've gotten very close over this ridiculous idea that I had of getting on the cover of O -- a silly dream... And now we talk all the time and she is fantastic and I love her and I wish her the best," Ellen told her audience. "She deserves to rest. She has worked really, really hard." (Access Hollywood)

Hmmmm, so Oprah worked really hard, created a ton of things, and now is going to rest. Is that right, Ellen? I think I've heard this story before... Tell me, is this the first chapter in the new "Bible of 'O'." Are you creating a religion based around your personal savior, Ellen? If so, count me in. Any religion that can tell me what books to read, how to get skinny and improve my love life sounds just dandy.

Paula Abdul said she has no problem with Ellen DeGeneres taking over as an American Idol judge. Of course, Paula is in talks for hosting her own talk show, which would directly compete with Ellen's. Man, it's going to be fun next year to watch Ellen kick Paula's ass at everything.

Paula Abdul has issued her approval for her "American Idol" replacement.

In August, Paula announced via Twitter that she would not be returning for the show's ninth season after spending the previous eight sitting next to Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and, starting last season, Kara DioGuardi, at the judge's table.

"She is wildly funny, talented and I wish her the best of luck!" Paula tweeted about Ellen on Thursday.

"I think Ellen will b a gr8 judge on Idol," Paula also said.

"i don't h8 ellen," Paula then continued to tweet. "I jst wanna stab her in teh face w/ a knife. JK JK LOL ... (not jk)"

There's this show on television, maybe you've heard of it. Now it's getting a new host, maybe you've heard of her too. Fox really wants you to care, maybe you will... most likely not though.

Ellen DeGeneres is dancing her way onto "American Idol," replacing Paula Abdul as the show's fourth judge.

In a Wednesday release from Fox and the show's producers, DeGeneres described herself as a longtime fan of the hit singing contest.

Abdul, who announced she was quitting the show amid a contract dispute, had been replaced by a succession of guest judges as "American Idol" started next season's auditions.

DeGeneres, host of a daytime talk show, wasn't among them. She will join Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi for the ninth season starting in January.

I kind of like this choice. You replace one crazy woman with another, only this time it's fun-loving interesting-crazy instead of pill-popping psychotic-but-still-interesting-crazy. I'm actually hoping Ellen becomes the nastiest one of them all, like she's the judge you don't want to piss off. Either that, or she dances every episode. Come on, who doesn't love Ellen's dancing?

Jessica Simpson appeared on Ellen DeGeneres' show and mentioned that her sister Ashlee may need to induce labor...

"They're going to have to. It's already developing really quick," Jessica said.

Ashlee – described by husband Pete Wentz more than two weeks ago as due at any moment – has already tried other ways to begin labor.

"Different foot massages and stuff," Jessica told DeGeneres in the show airing Wednesday. "I don't know. I think she's really just jumping around trying everything right now."

This doesn't come as a huge surprise, since it seems like Ashlee got knocked up by husband Pete Wentz forever ago, so she must be way past her due date. It's been so long this kid is probably going to come out of the womb already talking, which of course will prompt Grandpa Joe to slap a microphone in its hand and see if MTV is interested in a reality show about a singing baby.

I realize this is the second clip from The Ellen Show in less than a week featured on this site (the first was The Hills' Audrina getting dunked), but clearly the woman is trying to get more guys to tune in. Or it could be she just has similar taste.

This time she's interviewing Hayden Panettiere, who promptly decides to lift up her dress and show the audience her skivvies. If lesbians cause straight girls to act like this all the time, it's possible I need to befriend a few more of them.

Audrina Patridge may always have those blank, empty-headed stares that don't exactly scream out with intelligence, but she does seem aware enough to realize that her 15 minutes are almost up now that The Hills is nearing its conclusion.

First she did the bikini photo shoot in the latest issue of Maxim, then she tried to spread a rumor about Lauren Conrad hooking up with her ex-boyfriend in a desperate attempt for headlines, and now she's back in her bikini again while appearing on The Ellen Show and volunteering to face the dunk tank.

Face it, Audrina, it's over. Unless that sequel for Into the Blue turns out to be a breathtaking piece of cinema (they rarely put such films straight to DVD), you might as well just take those fake titties over to Hef's and pose for Playboy while people still remember you.