American Idol's Katie Stevens on Ellen DeGeneres Show 4/19/2010

Ellen had a kicking intro as she danced on stage. She urged her people to sit, and then asked them how they were doing. She seems to be pretty low key and a bit surprising with her humor. I had never watched Ellen before until she started judging the American Idol show and she is pretty funny.

She told everyone she had a bad start to her day when she got woken up by the song, "beep beep", that was the sound of heavy equipment backing up. She said she fell asleep in the car, and then she went into a story about having her shower remodeled. Then she said, when she did shower she used a bikini and a bath cap because Paparazzi were everywhere. She then proceeded to do the bath matt shuffle.

She performed the act where your towel is across the room but you don't want to step on the cold floor, or get it wet, so you use the bathtub, and slide or scooch herself across the room.

Katie Stevens was one of Ellen DeGeneres' Guests

Katie was rumored to be a pretty good dancer by the other American Idol Contestants. Ellen asked her, "Why didn't you pull out the dancing on American Idol?"

Katie said, "I didn't think I was a very good dancer."

Then Ellen asked her, "How are you feeling?"

Katie said, "There is that moment of sadness and it was awful, and I'm glad they didn't show my goodbye package before I performed because I would have been a mess. but then it was over and now I'm doing other things, and I'm going on tour.."

Ellen asked her if because she "was in the bottom 3, were you sort of prepared for it? I thought you did well with the Elvis song"

Katie responded, "Well I thought about when Lacey thought she was going home all day, and then she stayed. I thought when I looked at the other contestants I thought I had done ok. When Ryan Seacrest told Mike Lynche that he was safe, I had a split second to prepare, and then I had an emotional moment when I started to sing but I got through it".

Ellen said, "You and Aaron are both 17. How do you deal with that kind of pressure to be number one singing and to stand in front of the judges, how do you prepare yourself?

Katie said, "Honestly, I have been watching American Idol since I was 8 years old, and I thought it was going to be a piece of cake. And then I got there and I wanted to cry. You sing, and you are excited, and then you get judged right after. It is really hard."

Katie looked at Ellen and directed this at her," If I look at you and you look like you hate me, or Simon's looks." Ellen replied that she never hated Katie and then Katie said, "Did you know Simon itches his face with his middle finger?" Ellen gave her a look like "brown noser" and then she said.

Ellen told her, "Let it all out Katie. I think Simon liked you, we all liked you. It was a shock for me. You have a beautiful voice, you have a lot of time, and this was a great platform for a lot of different people; and now you are going in another direction. I think we will see you again, and I know you are going to perform for us, and I won't judge you."

Katie performed 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'

Ellen was a gracious hostess and commended Katie on her performance but I hate to say it, again, but she still has some growing up to do. She needs more control in her voice, because she oscillates from sounding sweet to sounding shrilly. But she did look pretty in a mauve flowing long dress top with black leggings. Her face seemed a lot more relaxed than it had been on idol the last night.

Katie's introduction on the song was a little slow, but she had a few moments. She needs more air and more confidence on the high notes though head voice is nice. She gets into trouble when she pushes it. The crowd stood and clapped, and Ellen urged them to clap some more for her. I thought the last part was the best, except for her last note.

To hear Katie's performances from Idol or from the Ellen Show, you can go to the Ellen Page of Idol and download the performance on I-Tunes

Howie Mandel also on Ellen DeGeneres show talking about Simon Cowell's new show

Howie Mandel will be a judge on America's Got Talent that will air June 1st. Howie and Ellen were talking about the fact that Howie will be working for Simon Cowell. America is about dreams coming true. I was watching it from home on my couch in my underpants but now I put my pants on, and I'm there.

On my show we get some ridiculous people. I lived with a mime for a year and a half, 'talk about awkward silence.' Ellen said it is really hard for me to tell people they weren't great. You are looking for great, and they think they are great. Sometimes I want to say they weren't good, and I find myself saying you were great, and then in my head, I think, well no you weren't.

Source:

Ellen DeGeneres Show, Warner Brothers Studios

June 1^st, NBC - America's Top Talents