Celebrity Mound

While we’re sure Ryan Seacrest misses his former colleague Paula Abdul, the (very rich) television host is excited for the err, “energy” the newly appointed Ellen DeGeneres will bring to the hit FOX show.

“We love Ellen, she is a superstar. She will change the sexual tension,”Seacrest told us at the Emmy’s on Sunday night. “Simon and Paula had a specific sort of tension, but this will be quite different…”

However fellow judge Randy Jackson (who went out of his way to greet Kim Kardashian and gasp at her lush curves amid the red carpet madness) told Tarts that he’s already got DeGeneres sorted.

“She’ll be following my lead, I’ve told her to watch the dog,” he explained.

Winner of Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Kristen Chenoweth and recent “Idol” guest judge also weighed in on the debate.

“I’m sad that she (Abdul) left because I think she had a heart, but I also think Ellen will fill that void,” said the petite blonde after wiping away her Emmy-winning tears of joy. “A lot of people will give Ellen a lot of guff for not being a trained singer… She represents a lot of America and there is nothing wrong with having her on that panel at all.”

We also caught up with ex -”Idol” Producer Nigel Lythgoe (who was disappointed but not surprised that the show once again lost to Amazing Race) at the FOX Emmy After Party and he too had quite a DeGeneres opinion.

“I think she’ll create another style, very different from Paula. If Paula disagreed with Simon she would hit him,” Lythgoe told Tarts. “But if and when Ellen disagrees with him she’s going to hit him with a tongue lashing.”

However the most eyebrow-raising “A.I.” comments of the night actually came from the show’s lone winner of the night, director Bruce Gowers.

“I think there’ll be a lot more fun on the show than there was before,” Gowers said backstage. “I think we’re going to get even higher ratings.” Ouch.

Sorry but just seeing Ryan Seacrest, Ellen DeGeneres and sexual tension in the same sentence is just plain creepy!

(source)