Will they be nice? Will they be good at their job? And will they tell you about the time they danced with the First Lady of the United States?
Thankfully the answer to all three of those questions was an emphatic “Yes” when it came to my latest colleague.
American chat show queen Ellen DeGeneres has started broadcasting in the UK.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show is a US TV institution. The combination of comedy, celebrity and music along with human interest stories has been a ratings hit.
And Ellen’s built a reputation for liking a boogie.
I’m not kidding – as well as dancing with Justin Timberlake and Jamie Foxx on her show recently, she also managed to get the First Lady, Michelle Obama, up for a jig.
That’s like Samantha Cameron doing the pasodoble on Loose Women.
“When we first started the show 13 years ago I would dance instead of walking after the show started,” she told me.
“I started dancing through the audience and I realised – people love to dance.
“People come here ready to dance – it’s more important than seeing me!”
I interviewed Ellen in front of her live studio audience – which was more than a wee bit nerve-racking – about her move into British telly.
And she reckons it’s down to one man – James Corden.
He appeared on her show and sang a brilliant song, Get Elly On The Telly. I’ve talked about how powerful James is these days so it’s no surprise it worked!
“James Corden helped a lot,” Ellen told me. “Man, he’s funny. He’s a really clever guy. I’m thrilled he’s getting the success he deserves.
“I’ve been to the UK twice and I’m going back in July.”
Over the next few weeks I’ve got more from Elton John, and I’ll tell you about my meeting with the brilliant actor and producer Jeremy Piven who’s got the inside info on one of the biggest stars on the planet, or the galaxy for that matter.
I’ll also have more from the awards season.
I’m getting excellent mileage out of my tuxedo – last week was the Screen Actors Guild awards, or the SAGs, as they’re known out here.
I have to snigger – it’s the very thing most Hollywood actors want to avoid!
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