Kevin Winter/ Getty Images for PCA; AP Photo/Matt Sayles

Katharine McPhee wasn't exactly shocked to learn that Paula Abdul was leaving American Idol.

"It doesn't surprise me, because it wouldn't surprise me if Simon Cowell was leaving the show," McPhee told me at last night's benefit concert for the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank and Feeding America.

"They've all been on the show for so many years…Do what you've got to do," she said. "People try to figure out the real stories and I'm like, 'Who cares? She wants to go.' "

In fact, McPhee thinks it's time for the show to shake things up a bit with someone like Ellen DeGeneres...

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FOX; Kevin Winter/Getty Images for PCA

Ellen DeGeneres may do a fine job defending herself against critics who don't think she's qualified to be a judge on American Idol, but that doesn't mean her supporters are going to sit back and let her do all the work.

"She loves the show, she loves music, and she's a star," fellow judge Kara DioGuardi says. "You got to be a star to win the show."

And she continued…

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Kara DioGuardi has some very good reasons why she thinks Ellen DeGeneres makes sense for American Idol. Check out my videoblog to find out what she told me. Make sure to come back later for even more.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images, Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

If Andy Samberg were single, Kate Perry would so be trying to make him jizz in his pants.

The perky pop singer can't get enough of the Saturday Night Live funnyguy.

"Oh...my...God! I just saw Andy Samberg," Perry, 24, stuttered to me on last night's VMA red carpet. "I know he's going out with someone, but he's so hot.

"Oh...my...God," she said again. "I'm going to freak out. I'm already creaming in my panties. Oh my God!"

Ms. Perry finally did get to meet Samberg. Keep reading to find out what happened. Plus, she dished on why she had to get brutally honest when she was a guest judge for American Idol...

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Even if Victoria Beckham was a two-time guest judge for American Idol, she insists she had no intention of trying to replace Paula Abdul on a full-time basis.

"Ellen [DeGeneres] is going to be fantastic," Beckham, 35, told me last night while promoting her latest dress collection during Fashion's Night Out at New York's Bergdorf Goodman.

"For me, I just love the fact that I could dip in and dip out. It was great," she said. "I saw so much talent, and to be a part of making someone's dream come true was exciting for me."

But how did Beckham handle having to crush someone's dream? Keep reading to find out, plus she reveals what hot soccer hubby David…smells like!

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Ellen DeGeneres has been outranked by a politico. But not by too much.

The openly gay talk-show queen was last year's No. 1 on Out magazine's Power 50 list, but this time around she's slipped to No. 2. Instead, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank has been crowned this year's queen king because of the political clout he now carries in our nation's Democratic-heavy capital.

DeGeneres isn't the only Hollywood hotshot  to make the third annual list. Read on to find out more boldfaced names deemed worthy of a ranking.

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Kevin Winter/ Getty Images for PCA; Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for PCA

Why was Kate Hudson late to last night's People's Choice Awards?

Blame her son, Ryder.

But it was all for a good reason. Kate was throwing the little guy a birthday party. He turned 5 yesterday. Which meant Hudson didn't get in her car until about 15 minutes before she was supposed to present the first award way across town at the Shrine Auditorium, says a source.

Hudson's rep tells me that she was actually in NYC yesterday morning doing Bride Wars press and jetted back to the West Coast for Ryder's bash.

So Ellen DeGeneres ended up filling in at the last minute, explaining to the audience that Hudson was stuck in traffic. Later on, Hudson dedicated her Favorite Leading Lady award to—who else?—Ryder.

At least Hudson made it—eventually. Who was a complete no-show last night?

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It's time for Anderson Cooper to make a trip to Atlanta.

Why?

Because Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes says she wants to give him some "brown sugar!"

Here's the deal: Cooper told Ellen DeGeneres on her show yesterday that he's actually a fan of Bravo's latest installment of its Housewives franchise.

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AP Photo / Dan Steinberg, Sharkpixs / Zuma Press, Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com, Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com

The upcoming Stand Up to Cancer benefit is beginning to look like the Oscars, the Emmys and the Grammys rolled into one.

I just got word that newlywed Ellen DeGeneres has signed on to work the phonebank during the live telecast of the fundraiser on Sept. 5.

The talk-show pooh-bah isn't the only new name added to the roster...

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I was the first to tell you that Ellen DeGeneres was going to have a big birthday party Saturday night.

Well, she did. And the guest list at the Warner Bros. studio lot's carnival- and casino-themed soirée was star-studded...

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AP Photo/Chris Weeks

Kathy Griffin sure knows how to yuk it up with her gays.

The redheaded funnylady picked up the Outstanding Reality Program award for her My Life on the D-List last night during the GLAAD Media Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

“I got the Michael Kors dress, the H. Stern jewelry and [stylist] Robert Verdi put me together,” she said. “I didn’t let a straight person near me tonight.”

While there were plenty of yuks throughout the evening, there were just as many serious notes.

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