Ellen DeGeneres Makes American Idol Debut

Despite their distracting cups, new judge Ellen DeGeneres seemed to fit in nicely  on the Idol panel. (Fox Images)"]
Ellen DeGeneres made her debut on American Idol last night and the verdict is in - she did pretty well! On last night's episode, DeGeneres immediately addressed what critics and naysayers had been scoffing about - that a comic won't be able to offer insightful critiques to singers.

"People say, 'What do you know about music?'" DeGeneres told the room of hopefuls.   "I'll tell you what I do know. I do know what it's like to stand onstage and try to please an entire room full of people. That is a hard thing to do."

DeGeneres didn't hold back or sugarcoat critiques, telling contestants when they were  dull, scary, or just needed a pair of shoes.

"You frighten me," she said told Antonio "Skii Bo Ski" Wheeler. "You were stalking us. You were like a leopard behind a cage."

She also had funny moments, at one point teasing the nervous contestants by asking them to step forward, then step back, then step to the side, to finally tell them they’d all made it through.

"Sadist!" Simon Cowell yelled at her.

Standout performances came from Andrew Garcia, who sang an acoustic version of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up."

"You just owned that moment and interpreted something in a way similar to the way Adam did last season, when he would take a song and flip it," said Kara DioGuardi.

Another refreshing cup of Idol tea was offered up by contestant Lilly Scott, who sang an acoustic ''Lullaby of Birdland."

Who will make it through? What did you think of Ellen on Idol? The  Bodog Sportsbook  has the best entertainment and  Oscar odds. Need an account? Join Bodog today.