Ellen DeGeneres has accepted the invitation to host next year's Academy Awards, the 79th annual.

This will be the talk show host's first time hosting, and it will also be the first time she will even be attending. She'll succeed Jon Stewart, who hosted the telecast this past year. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ellen didn't hesitate when show producer, Laura Ziskin asked her. "When Laura Ziskin called, I was thrilled," DeGeneres said. "There's two things I've always wanted to do in my life: One is to host the Oscars. The second is to get a call from Laura Ziskin. You can imagine that day's diary entry."

The 79th Academy Awards will air on February 25, 2007 on ABC.