Get ready for one of the most-awaited events on American Idol as Emmy winner Ellen DeGeneres debuts as resident judge this week!

Airing locally on Q Channel 11 every Wednesday and Thursday, the biggest talent show in the planet ushers in the Hollywood Round with one of the most popular entertainers in the world sitting as resident judge along with Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi, and Randy Jackson.

Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, American Idol Season 9 is certainly the most star-studded Idol yet with celebrities like Victoria Beckham, Katy Perry, Mary J. Blige, Shania Twain, Avril Lavigne, Joe Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, and Kristin Chenoweth appearing as guest judges during the audition period.

From the thousands who trooped to the audition centers across the United States, only a little over 100 got through to the next round. The Hollywood round is when the Idol hopefuls are screened down to the top 24 semifinalists. The Top 24 will again be trimmed down to just the select finalists who will go on to sing live in front of a studio audience and TV viewers.

The competition is certainly getting more intense and the early front runners in particular are feeling the heat. It's also quite hot in the judges’ table as all eyes are on Ellen and how she will perform as a judge.

The amiable and witty comic/host told TV news journalist Katie Couric in a TV interview, "I'm someone who knows what it's like to be on stage and entertain. So I know what it takes."

Ellen also said in earlier interviews that she found Cowell "even meaner" than she expected. Uh-oh. Will the genial Ellen stand up to the sharp-tongued Simon? How will she affect the dynamics among the Idol judges? Who will survive the Hollywood Round?

Be there for all the drama and the arrival of Ellen. Catch the world's biggest, most phenomenally successful TV event, American Idol, this Wednesday and Thursday only on Q Channel 11!