Ellen DeGeneres’s daytime talk show will continue to be broadcast on NBC’s ten stations ending rumors that the popular host may take off to ABC stations and replace the outgoing Oprah Winfrey.

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution has renewed Telepictures’ The Ellen DeGeneres Show for three additional seasons on the owned-and-operated stations of the NBC Local Media Division.

In a statement, Ken Werner, the president of the syndicator, Warner Brothers Domestic Television Distribution, called DeGeneres “one of those unique personalities that comes along once in a generation.”  “We couldn’t be happier,” he said, “that the NBC stations will continue to have ‘Ellen’ as the cornerstone of their syndicated lineup for years to come.”

That’s not the only good news for the 52-year-old comic. Her debut on American Idol pulled the show’s biggest audience since the season premiere — almost 28 million viewers. That’s about 3 million more than the first night of Hollywood last season. According to Media Life Magazine, “The show averaged a 10.1 adults 18-49 rating, up 13 percent over last week’s 8.9 and up 1 percent over the first Hollywood round episode last year.” On Wednesday, Idol averaged more than 25 million viewers, also up from last week.

During her first show DeGeneres commented on judge Simon Cowell’s upcoming departure, saying: “So this is it, huh? I come on, you leave.”  Cowell is leaving the show after this season to launch an American version of his British TV hit, The X Factor.

The New York Times said she was “witty both in her embraces and her take-downs” and The Los Angeles Times praised her “calm demeanor and deadpan wit”.

USA Today said her best moment in the show was her encounter with Skii Bo Ski, who sang Ain’t Too Proud To Beg while stalking around the stage.

DeGeneres started out by jokingly comparing him to a leopard, but she quickly transitioned into actual, useful performance advice, the newspaper said.

“Don’t frighten your audience. Don’t get so intense. Sexy and scary – it’s a fine line.”

Truer words have never been spoken.