Kara DioGuardi: Axed from “American Idol”

It looks like “American Idol” is undergoing some serious changes as of late, and Kara DioGuardi is suddenly out of a job.

The award-winning songwriter was fired from the FOX talent show this week, at the same time Ellen DeGeneres turned in her resignation.

Of her first season on “Idol,” DioGuardi told press, "It was pretty hellish. Yeah, I got slagged. People were ... it was difficult for them to accept the change. It was difficult for them to understand why somebody who nobody had ever heard of could kind of come out of nowhere and sit next to these iconic figures. You know, why was I there, what did I do to deserve to be there?"

"[The second season was easier] because I'm not as fearful as I was last year ... For someone who's never been on live television, it's very, very challenging to go from the back of the studio to the No. 1 TV show, and that kind of visibility. And it was very, very, very scary."

Rumor has it that Steven Tyler of Aerosmith will be taking over for Simon Cowell, and Jennifer Lopez will serve as DioGuardi’s replacement.