Randy Jackson: It’s ‘Almost Impossible’ to Replace Paula Abdul

"American Idol" judge Randy Jackson spoke to ET about the headline-making news that Ellen DeGeneres will replace Paula Abdul on the hit FOX show -- and he reveals why it's "almost impossible" to replace Paula.

Randy explains how Ellen landed the coveted gig, saying, "We had been looking -- Paula is very hard to replace, almost impossible, so… we went a different way."

Randy, who spoke to ET at the Entertainment Industry Foundation's NYC announcement of its new initiative to inspire service, went on to tell us: "Ellen is great, she's so smart, so quick, so comedic -- and I think, you know, she’s the voice of the people and I think we need that at this time."