Ellen DeGeneres has won her fourth consecutive Daytime Emmy
for best talk show host a
Hollywood ceremony,
on Friday night, at the 35th annual Daytime Emmy Awards. The comic and
presenter outranked US TV veteran Regis Philbin in the same category, as well
as Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg, both hosts of The View show. She said
she had no plans walking Oprah Winfrey’s steps by retreating from the Daytime
Emmys, which also acclaim soap operas and game shows. DeGeneres joked saying
Oprah made so many bad choices.
Besides thanking her show staff and partner Portia de Rossi,
DeGeneres also praised the fans of her show, the "amazing, amazing
people."
Still, The Ellen DeGeneres Show did not win the best talk
show category. Instead the award went to Rachael Ray, for her “cooking” show,
while Supermodel Tyra Banks, who shined during the two-hour award ceremony, won
in the new category of informative program with her “Tyra Banks Show”. In her
speech, she thanked her mother - "My mama is crying like a baby," she
exclaimed on the podium - and Oprah Winfrey, "for being the queen."
The first winner of
the night was supporting actress in a drama series Gina Tognoni, of The
Guiding Light, who remarked the show is 71 years old this year.
General
Hospital was awarded the
top drama series Emmy and lead actor Anthony Geary won his sixth Emmy for his
performance.
Other champions included The Young and the Restless's main
actress Jeanne Cooper (a first-time winner) and supporting actor, Kristoff St.
John, at his second Emmy statuete; Tom Pelphrey, from Guiding Light, as best
younger actor (his second Emmy); and As the World Turns's Jennifer Landon, as
younger actress (her third Emmy in a row).
Regis Philbin aqcuired a lifetime achievement award,
introduced by Jimmy Kimmel.
Another new category, the best show with a gavel-pounding
judge, found its winner in Cristina's Court TV show.
