Ellen DeGeneres livens up the People’s Choice Awards

Ellen DeGeneres was in her element Wednesday at the People’s Choice Awards, taking swipes at Justin Timberlake, Drew Barrymore and Oprah Winfrey.

The daytime host’s humorously questionable behavior kept the otherwise stale show hosted by “2 Broke Girls” Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs, well, entertaining.

First came her mock acceptance of singer Justin Timberlake’s favorite album award. DeGeneres ascended the stage when the “Mirrors” singer’s name was announced to accept the award on his behalf.

PHOTOS: People’s Choice Awards 2014 red carpet arrivals

Later, she set a record for winning 14 People’s Choice Awards when she took home the honor for daytime TV host at the Nokia Theatre.

“Wow, wow, wow! Thank you so much. Thank you so much. I would say sit down but you are already sitting down,” the comic quipped. “Fourteen, this is incredible. I mean really, as a young girl growing up in New Orleans, if anyone told me I was going to win 14 People’s Choice Awards -- I mean 12, yes, 13 maybe, but 14...”

“I treasure this because it is from the people and there’s no better thing than knowing that you are making people happy. It’s why I got into this business,” she continued. “I love making people happy. And when we first started the show the very first season, I love not only having celebrities on but having regular people on. And I wanted to make the show a show for everyone. A show for old people and young people and men and women and black and white and gay and straight and everybody.”

That’s when the host, who is married to actress Portia de Rossi, got a resounding round of applause. Then she took aim at another TV queen...

“As a matter of fact, just yesterday, I was talking to this lovely African American woman and she told me she was single and she works 80 hours a week to get by and she looks forward to coming home every single night and watching me,” DeGeneres said. “And that woman’s name is Oprah Winfrey, and I think I am doing something right. I love you all, thank you so much for this.”

PHOTOS: People’s Choice Awards 2014 | Show highlights

(There may be hope for a humorous Academy Awards yet: DeGeneres is slated to host this year’s Oscars on March 2.)

Later, presenter Drew Barrymore, who is expecting her second child with husband Will Kopelman, took the stage to present another award. But first she told the audience that DeGeneres made an unkind comment about her weight backstage.

“Ellen DeGeneres told me I was fat!” Barrymore announced. The joke fell a bit flat for those who didn’t realize that Barrymore had put on the weight because she was pregnant, so she attempted to clarify her comments. “But I’m not, it was a joke. It was really funny.”

DeGeneres and Barrymore were photographed backstage laughing. The actress is set to appear on “Ellen” on Jan. 15, Us Weekly reported.

Barrymore then presented the favorite comedic movie actor award to her “50 First Dates” costar Adam Sandler. The funnyman read a grammatically challenged letter from his “fan for life,” who turned out to be Barrymore, then later also took a jab at her expanding figure.

“By the way, you do look like you lost weight,” he joked.

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