Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres will replace Paula Abdul on "American Idol," she and the network announced on Wednesday (Sept. 9).

DeGeneres made the announcement on her syndicated talk show; the video was then posted on her web site. Fox made the announcement via Twitter.

"This is so exciting for me," DeGeneres told her audience. "We've been dealing with this for the last couple of weeks, and I've been dying to tell everyone...it's going to be so much fun."

"I don't know how it happened myself, but you know, I have not missed one episode of that show," said DeGeneres. "I love everything about it, and I love music, as you know. And hopefully I'm the people's point of view, because I'm just like you...I'm not looking at that in a critical way from the music producer's mind. I'm looking at it as a person who's going to buy the music...so I'm hopefully going to be the voice of what you're all doing at home."

DeGeneres is known for incorporating music programming as a regular feature on her talk show, with recurring segments featuring guests dancing on stage and singing with her in the studio's bathroom. Several of these - including DeGeneres singing with Jennifer Hudson and Christmas caroling with Britney Spears - have made a viral impact online.

Audition rounds for "American Idol's" eighth season are already underway, and guest judges ranging from Victoria Beckham to Avril Lavigne have filled in for Abdul in various audition cities.

"American Idol" returns to TV in January.