[• Ellen DeGeneres , who was praised for her graceful performance as host of the Emmy Awards that followed the Sept. 11 attacks, will be back this year (8 p.m. Sept. 18, Channels 12, 7).] You know me, ... Any excuse to put on a dress.

And be sure to look for me next month when I host the North Korean Peoples Choice Awards.

No matter how popular you are as a stand-up - you can go out and fill a 10,000-seat arena and be smart and funny - it's delicate to host an awards show and know where your place is and know that it's not about you, that it's about the people who are nominated, and respect that, but at the same time have your moment to show them who you are.

The emphasis of the 12th annual MTV Europe Music Awards is on spectacular live performance.

I collect old portraits. They're all just interesting pictures of people, and you just kind of wonder who they were and what they were. There's a guy - I don't know who he is, but he's wearing a suit. He's got his arms folded, and he looks like he sold insurance or something. I'm just wondering why someone painted him.

Faith is part of who I am, yes. I was raised Christian Scientist. The most important thing I saw every single week on the wall at Sunday school was the Golden Rule.