A game of judge's musical chairs

Ellen takes Paula's Chair on Idol.

The reality show game of musical judging chairs began last summer when Paula Abdul tweeted goodbye to American Idol after 8 years.

Next week as Idol premieres, Abdul will be replaced for four weeks of audition shows by celeb guests. The audition period opens in Boston on Tuesday with guest judge Victoria Beckham, followed by Atlanta on Wednesday with Mary J. Blige.

The big name in the big chair though won't appear until Feb. 9 when Ellen DeGeneres joins Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi during Idol's Hollywood round.

It's more than a comedic part, DeGeneres says.

"If there's something funny, I think I'll add humor to it. If it's not funny, I'll just talk about what I liked or didn't like," she recently told reporters. "I'm going to be honest, and I'm going to be looking for somebody that's special and hope people try to set themselves apart."

DeGeneres has committed to a seat at Idol's judging table for five years. That stability though doesn't end the game of musical chairs - the show's biggest attraction: Cowell, whose deal expires after this season, is widely rumored to be exiting.

The Abdul-DeGeneres judging change could refresh the show, especially if DeGeneres turns out to be a good sparring partner for Cowell. The departure of Abdul, who has been on Idol with Cowell, Jackson and host Ryan Seacrest from the start, marks the biggest change yet to a formula that has resulted in the decade's most popular series.

DioGuardi, who joined last season, says she took on some of Abdul's supportive role during the auditions, trying to buffer the blow for some of the poorer performers. The guest judges helped, too. The roster includes Beckham, Blige, Kristin Chenoweth, Neil Patrick Harris, Joe Jonas, Avril Lavigne, Katy Perry and Shania Twain.

The game of musical chairs isn't limited to Idol because over at NBC "The Hoff" is off of America's Got Talent.

David Hasselhoff, who's been a judge on NBC's summer series for all four of its seasons, says he's moving on to do a TV project of his own.

"I am proud that I was part of making America's Got Talent the No. 1 rated show for the past four summers," Hasselhoff says in a statement to People. "It's been a rewarding experience and now I'm thrilled to be able to follow my dream to do my own TV show, which will be announced very shortly."

Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne are expected to return to AGT next summer; NBC will embark on a search to find Hasselhoff's replacement in the coming weeks.

Posted by the Mindless Man