As Sunday's Oscars ceremony draws nearer and the Hollywood glitterati get those final abs toned in the gym and hairs waxed in the salon, we're wondering if Ellen Degeneres is busy finalising her host's script. A lot has changed in the seven since America's favourite talkshow host commandeered the Academy Awards and expectations are higher than ever after a monumental year in film.

Ellen Degeneres
Ellen Degeneres Prepares For The 2014 Oscars Ceremony.

The Ellen show's host's first time hosting the Academy Awards was widely praised, the only criticism being that she didn't get enough screen time. The 56 year-old's sunny personality and family-friendly jokes make her the ideal, safe choice to host after Seth Macfarlane's divisive gig last year left an unsavoury taste for many.

"People want to see her, they are excited to see her," said Yahoo! TV editor Maggie Furlong, via ABC News. "She's a host who people let into their living rooms every day. Her show has been very good training for this."

It's important that as well as being genuinely entertaining, Ellen is also a crowd pleaser who won't take cheap shots at Hollywood's biggest stars. "She's never been a mean-spirited comedian," Furlong praised. "She's very good at toeing the line between being edgy and sweet."

Seth Macfarlane
Seth Macfarlane's 2013 Hosting Left Many With A Bad Taste.

Ellen wasn't exactly racing to return to the Oscars though: "I really thought, 'Why do I want to add that to my plate?' I've done it before, and it's scary as hell," she told The New York Times recently. "If you do great, the reaction is that you were good. Not great - good. If you don't do well, they just tear you apart, and they never let you forget it."

"It's a tough audience. It's people who are jaded. To try to entertain them and make them laugh and make them relax and make them feel good is a challenge," she added. "I thought why not challenge myself? I'm comfortable right now and it's never good to be comfortable as a performer," Ellen explained to People. "Hosting the Oscars is pretty much the scariest thing you can do. To me, this is right up there with bungee jumping!"

Ellen Degeneres Duracell
The Comedienne & Talkshow Host Is Ready To Rise To The Oscars Challenge Once More.

With regards to what to expect from the awards ceremony as a whole, Ellen said she's noticed a focal shift from film to fashion as celebs clamour to one-up each other on the red carpet. "It's the Academy Awards. It's prestigious. It should be sophisticated," she said. "It has lately turned into something that's a little more about the clothes than the performances, and I will comment on that."

The celebrated TV star also said she plans to do a bit on dancing onstage if the mood takes her. "We know that she's got the moves," Furlong said. Go Ellen!

The Oscars will take place on Sunday 2nd March.