SHARON STONE - DEGENERES MAKES PROVISIONS FOR EXCESS GUESTS

ELLEN DeGENERES' new chat show has proved so popular, she's had to set aside a special area for fans vying to be in the live studio audience.

The comedienne, whose daytime show ELLEN debuted in September (03), now has an overlap room called 'the Experience', where she puts the fans she'd rather not turn away.

She says, "We've done so much with it. We've had a haunted house, we've had a buffet, we've built a doghouse, we've carved a 1,000-pound pumpkin, we've had an orang-u-tang playing pingpong, I danced with SHARON STONE - which is similar. She's wild, that Sharon! I pulled my back out trying to dance with her.

"We now have a bowling alley in the Experience. We're bringing bowling back to daytime!"

To celebrate the installation of her new bowling alley, DeGeneres took guest KIEFER SUTHERLAND bowling there yesterday morning (04NOV03) - and DeGeneres won.