When the sun sets on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011, it will bring 25 years of Winfrey’s legendary talk show to an end. Long considered the queen of daytime talk, Winfrey’s departure means that a new daytime diva must be crowned.

As far as we can tell, the contest will be between two successful, witty women: Ellen DeGeneres and Kelly Ripa. (Oh sure, we know Kelly has a co-host in Regis Philbin. But in almost a decade on The Regis & Kelly show, the co-host has proven herself ten times over.)

Whose gift of gab prevails? We compared them in several categories to find out:

OUTFITS
Ellen has style for days, having earned props from many of her guests (including hip-hopper Kanye West). Using simple, carefully-chosen accessories manages to make jeans/pants, low-key shirts and sweaters look fun and spunky every, single episode.
Ripa is a total girly-girl. From her gorgeous, strappy shoes to her form-fitting pencil skirts and stylish dresses, she has yet to come out in a questionable ensemble. And if you go to the show’s website, there’s a daily feature on her outfit — that gives her the edge in this round.
ELLEN: 0
KELLY: 1

WORK ETHIC
Both of these women have enviable work ethics.
Since 2001, Ripa has co-hosted Regis & Kelly, while she also acted on All My Children (until 2002) and then her sitcom, Hope & Faith (from 2003-2006). A mother of three, she and husband Mark Consuelos have a production company, which reportedly has two shows in the works for TLC. And lately, she’s served as a guest judge on The Marriage Ref.
Ellen has hosted her show, for which she’s won numerous Emmys, since 2003. She’s also emceed numerous awards shows, and this year, took over Paula Abdul’s judging spot on American Idol. Ellen doesn’t have children, but with partner and wife Portia De Rossi, has seven pets. She’s also an author and has her own pet food line.
Honestly, this could easily be a tie. But when Ellen was placed on bed rest in 2007 after tearing a ligament in her back, she continued hosting the show — from a hospital bed. Now that’s dedication… and it’s enough for the win.
ELLEN: 0
KELLY: 2

OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES
Seeing the hosts outside of their program helps shape our perceptions.
While Ellen is lovely in her own right, seeing her on Cover Girl commercials in place of “perfect” supermodels is refreshing. And her new stint on American Idol places her firmly in the primetime spotlight. Hard to get much better than that.
While we realize the ads are tongue in cheek, Kelly’s Electrolux appliances commercials — where she bakes a dog a birthday cake, amidst about six children, without even making a mess — make us dread going into our own kitchen, for it is neither mess-free or filled with shiny, new appliances. Kelly is also prime time with her guest spots on The Marriage Ref, but that’s nowhere as popular as AI.
ELLEN: 1
KELLY: 2

SHOW GIMMICKS
We love watching Regis and Kelly call a random viewer each morning with a trivia question and give away awesome vacations. They also do lots of viewer-oriented contests, including beautiful baby searches and new mom makeovers.
And when Regis goes on vacation, all manner of guests hosts fill in for him — from Anderson Cooper, to Kyle MacLachlan to Ludacris — and that’s where Kelly shines. She holds her own with every one of them and the show still flows as smooth as butter; it really showcases both her wit and her versatility.
Ellen has a house DJ, and never begins her show without a little jig. She has a variety of games in which she involves audience members; our favorite swiftly drops the “losers” through a hole in a tall platform. Whenever she interviews celebrities, she has a knack for making them do wacky things (recently, Chris O’Donnell sang karaoke). And she always has personalized gag gifts for them; recently, Pamela Anderson received a pair of pasties bearing Ellen’s face for Dancing With the Stars … just in case.
Kelly’s ability to co-host with such random people is a real strength, but we are certain she could carry a show herself. Plus, she can also dance, as proven when she broke it down with Ludacris’ dancers during a recent episode. Kelly, for the win.
ELLEN: 2
KELLY: 2

SHOW CONS
Hey, nobody’s perfect. As much as we love both women, certain things about them or their programs get on our nerves from time to time.
Kelly cons: The high bar stool chairs on her show look totally uncomfortable. (Kirstie Alley looked like she was sitting on 100 thumbtacks last week!) And when Kelly gets a laugh from a joke (such as her recent Lady Gaga impression), she can run a it into the ground. In both cases, less is more.
Ellen cons: Sometimes, audience participation isn’t a good idea, particularly when folks are boring. Recently, Ellen started cross-promoting American Idol, offering castoffs a chance to interview and sing on her show. Thanks, but several primetime hours of wannabe pop stars is more than enough for us.
Still, there’s nothing more annoying than someone who doesn’t know when a joke gets old, and American Idol isn’t on 52 weeks a year. Sorry, Kelly. Close, but no cigar.
ELLEN: 3
KELLY: 2

Bottom line: Honestly, we really think Kelly could give Ellen a run for her money, were she to score her own show. For now, Ellen is the soon-to-be-queen… but Kelly is the princess, and she will forever have more fabulous shoes.

Tags: ellen degeneres, kelly ripa, oprah winfrey