DeGeneres: I'll be honest on Idol

11 September 2009 10:35am

Ellen DeGeneres has said she's ready to be honest with the contestants on American Idol.

The talk show host - the new judge on the US TV talent show - is known for her kindness, but said she's ready to say no to hopefuls.

She said: "I think it's going to be hard, but as my career has grown... I've learned how to be tougher and learned how to say no - I think I can do it, and I think I can do it in a respectful way."

Any bluntness will be reserved for fellow judge Simon Cowell. "When Simon is rude and mean, I will tell him he's rude and mean, just like I tell him when he's on my show that he's rude and mean," Ellen said.

The star - who signed up following the departure of Paula Abdul - will continue with her show as she joins Idol.

In online postings, some Idol fans have applauded the comedian's selection. But others have questioned her credentials. Cowell and fellow judges Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all bring record industry experience to their critiques.

"I know as much as anybody who goes out there and buys a record. I know what I like and I think I do know what is special and has the 'it' factor," Ellen responded.

On the same day her hiring was announced, some of the world's largest recording companies sued Ellen's show, claiming its producers violated their copyrights by playing more than 1,000 songs without permission. Scott Rowe, spokesman for the show's Telepictures Productions, said in a statement that the company has been working with the record labels for months to resolve the issue and remains willing to resolve it on "amicable and reasonable terms".

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