Ellens First Night on Idol

Ellen DeGeneres pulled no punches during her American Idol debut Tuesday night, sprinkling in her own brand of humor, but unafraid to share her opinions during the first round of Hollywood Week. She even slyly addressed Simon Cowell's announcement that he would not return for the next season of the show.

"So this is it, huh?" she said to a smiling Cowell. "When I come on, you leave."

In an interview on AmericanIdol.com, DeGeneres said the role of being a judge is difficult because she hates giving bad news.

"I hate hurting people's feelings," she said.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, DeGeneres also has some strong feelings about rumors that shock jock Howard Stern might be interested in replacing Cowell on the show. According to the newspaper, DeGeneres said that if Stern comes aboard, she's leaving.

Watch a clip below.