Ellen scoops Daytime Emmy honour

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Ellen DeGeneres has won her fourth Daytime Emmy in a row for best talk show host at a Hollywood ceremony.

The comic and presenter beat US TV veteran Regis Philbin to the prize, as well as Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg for their series The View.

She said she had no plans to follow Oprah Winfrey and withdraw from entering the Daytime Emmys, which also honour soap operas and game shows.

"Oprah has made so many bad choices. Look at her career," she joked.

"I'm not going to take my name out."

DeGeneres, 50, also said she and her partner Portia de Rossi had set a wedding date, following California's lifting of a ban on same-sex marriage.

"I obviously feel like it's long overdue," she said.

"I think someday people will look back on this like women not having the right to vote, and segregation, and anything else that seems ridiculous that we didn't have all the same rights."

She added: "Planning a wedding is very stressful. It's crazy. My gardener is now invited."

US TV veteran Regis Philbin took a lifetime achievement prizeBut The Ellen DeGeneres Show did not win the best talk show category, with relative newcomer Rachael Ray taking the prize for her kitchen-themed programme.

Regis Philbin, whose career in US TV stretches back half a century, was honoured with a lifetime achievement award, while model Tyra Banks won best informative talk show.

"I want to thank Oprah Winfrey for her inspiration," she said.

"She is the queen and always will be the queen."

Long-running soap General Hospital, which celebrated its 45th anniversary this year, won a 10th drama prize, with its star Anthony Geary taking the lead actor honour.

Best actress was Jeanne Cooper, of another US daytime stalwart, The Young and the Restless.