Ellen DeGeneres To Host 2014 Academy Awards

On Friday morning, iconic comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres announced, via Twitter, that she has been tapped to host the 2014 Academy Awards Oscar telecast. DeGeneres tweeted to her 21 million-plus followers:

It’s official: I’m hosting the #Oscars! I’d like to thank @TheAcademy, my wife Portia and, oh dear, there goes the orchestra.

DeGeneres will take over from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, whose 2013 hosting performance got mixed reviews, at best.

This will be Ellen’s second turn as Oscar host, following her low-key performance hosting the 79th Academy Awards in 2007. After “edgy” missteps over the past few years, it’s a welcome sign of the times that the once-controversial DeGeneres is now considered the safe choice.

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