Ellen DeGeneres is preparing for her 'American Idol' stint by critiquing ex-contestants.

The talk show host - who replaced Paula Abdul as a judge on the talent series - has a collection of DVDs of past auditions which she watches with wife Portia de Rossi.

Ryan Seacrest says new 'American Idol' judge Ellen DeGeneres will change the "sexual tension" on the show.

The host is very pleased the openly gay star is joining the judging panel - which also includes Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi - because she will bring a new dynamic to the series.

Portia De Rossi nearly became a lawyer. The Australian-born star doesn't think she'd have suited climbing the corporate ladder like her latest on screen character, Veronica, in new comedy "Better Off Ted."

Portia said: "I went to law school for a year thinking I was going to do that for a living before I went to acting. To think that career could have been my life is pretty shocking to me."

Portia de Rossi is not trying to get pregnant. The "Arrested Development' star - who married talk show host Ellen DeGeneres last year - says rumors she is having in vitro fertilization (IVF) are "completely made up."

She said: "There's a story around right now about me that could not be further from the truth. The IVF story. That was just completely made up."

Madonna and Demi Moore are throwing an Oscars party.

The "Hung Up" singer will again team up with her actress friend and her manager Guy Oseary for a glitzy bash on February 22 following the success of the bash they threw last year at Guy's Los Angeles home.