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In this undated publicity image released by Fox, "American Idol" judges, from left, Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres, Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson are shown. (AP Photo/Fox, Michael Becker)

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Ellen DeGeneres pulled the plug on her brief, ill-advised career as "American Idol" judge on Thursday and it's safe to say that fans are shedding few tears.

DeGeneres, who arrived on a tidal wave of hype, just never found her groove, never hit the high notes. In assessing her overall performance, we find ourselves uttering one of Simon Cowell's favorite adjectives.

"Dreadful."

"A couple months ago, I let FOX and the 'American Idol' producers know that this didn't feel like the right fit for me," DeGeneres said in a statement. "I told them I wouldn't leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next.

"It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for. I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings. I loved the experience working on 'Idol' and I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be."

Indeed, Ellen did find it hard to judge people, even though she was paid big bucks to do just that. Sticking to her nice-gal image, she rarely offered anything in the way of constructive (or destructive) criticism — even when the performances cried out for it.

Instead, she became the rah-rah type who spewed generic cheeriness. Essentially,

But most egregious of all: She was boring. When Ellen signed on for "Idol," I thought she'd bring some welcome humor to the show and, that unlike Paula, she would be intentionally funny.

But she stammered and repeated herself and, most surprisingly, seemed to be at a loss when it came to articulate off-the-cuff commentary. Clearly, she was out of her comfort zone.

Now, with Ellen out of the picture and the show still searching for a Simon replacement, let's hope we return to a three-judge panel and get a sharp-minded arbiter who isn't afraid to judge people.

Nigel Lythgoe, are you listening?

Read Chuck Barney's blog at http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/category/tv and follow him at http://twitter.com/chuckbarney.