When Oprah steps down from her long-running daytime talk show in Sept. 2011, American Idol judge Ellen DeGeneres is likely to take over as Queen of the Airwaves, The New York Times reports.
According to The Times, recent media studies have found that Ellen is already as well-liked as daytime’s reigning queen, Oprah. One cited poll revealed that Ellen’s show is “upbeat and inspirational, two traits that appeal to daytime’s core female audience,” while the quirky comedienne “seen as relaxed and relatable.”
Earlier this month, Ellen signed a deal to keep her self-titled talk show, which premiered in 2003, on the airwaves until at least mid-2014.