That’s right, Simon has a new sidekick for the upcoming season of American Idol. Not another Kara DioGuardi (who knew her before Idol anyway?), in fact she is the polar opposite. Ellen DeGeneres, self-proclaimed lesbian, impromptu dancer and comedian, announced the breaking news during a taping of her talk show just yesterday.

Sending the pop culture media into a frenzy, the announcement comes on the heels of the departure of the great Paula Abdul. The ninth season of American Idol premieres in January, it should be interesting to see what Ellen brings to the table.

Let’s face it…the A.I. ship was sinking, they had to revive it somehow. What better way than with a judge that has absolutely no vocal background.