Ellen Degeneres is named 4th American Idol judge. Ellen was named permanent on Wednesday evening by officials at Fox. Are you surprised? It seems like a lot of people are by this news!

More pictures of Ellen after the skip…

This totally caught me by surprise. I was thinking a judge would have some sort of background in music, and I don’t think Ellen has any. According to the New York Times:

Ms. DeGeneres, the popular daytime talk show host, will join the famous judges’ panel after the auditions, which are currently taking place in cities around the country.

“I’m thrilled to be the new judge on American Idol,” Ms. DeGeneres said in a statement. “I’ve watched since the beginning, and I’ve always been a huge fan. So getting this job is a dream come true, and think of all the money I’ll save from not having to text in my vote.”

Not that I don’t think she can do it, but can she do it seriously? Everything Ellen does is for laughs. She’s a comedian, not a musician. I’m not sure of the fit…what do you think?

Photos: Bauer Griffin