Comedian Ellen DeGeneres to host the Oscars for a second time

USPA News - American comedian and television host Ellen DeGeneres, who is best known for hosting her popular talk show "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" since 2003, has been chosen to host the annual Oscars telecast for a second time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Friday. "We are thrilled to have Ellen DeGeneres host the Oscars," telecast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said in a joint statement.

"As a longtime friend, we had always hoped to find a project for us to do together and nothing could be more exciting than teaming up to do the Oscars." The producers added: "There are few stars today who have Ellen`s gift for comedy, with her great warmth and humanity. She is beloved everywhere and we expect that the audience at the Dolby Theatre, and in homes around the globe, will be as excited by this news as we are." DeGeneres previously hosted the 79th Academy Awards in 2007, for which she received a Primetime Emmy. "I am so excited to be hosting the Oscars for the second time. You know what they say - the third time`s the charm," DeGeneres said, while thanking the Academy and her wife Portia. Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson both praised Zadan and Meron for choosing DeGeneres. "Ellen is talented, wonderfully spontaneous, and knows how to entertain a worldwide audience," Hudson said. "She`s a big fan of the Oscars; we`re huge fans of hers. It`s a perfect match." DeGeneres is one of the world`s best known television hosts for hosting her hit syndicated talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," which has earned a total of 45 Daytime Emmys during its 10 seasons. She has also been successful as an actress, appearing on several successful sitcoms before being offered a part on ABC`s "These Friends of Mine" that was eventually renamed to "Ellen." The 86th Academy Awards, which are best known as The Oscars, are scheduled to be held on Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood in Southern California. The Oscar presentation is televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.