Oscars ratings rise to 40m in US

The ceremony was broadcast live in the US on the ABC network

Almost 40 million people saw the Oscars live on TV in the US, a million more than last year, estimates suggest.

And viewership among women aged 18 to 34 increased by 15% compared to 2006, Nielsen Media Research said.

There were mixed reviews for host Ellen DeGeneres - the New York Times said she was "cheeky but good-natured", although her routine "got a little old".

Variety bemoaned an "unspectacular" ceremony, while the Hollywoood Reporter described "precious few" highlights.

This was a shame because "practically every Oscar telecast has one or more moments that remain in our minds and get picked up in future clip reels" the daily publication said.

It added that DeGeneres's jokes "got too silly at times".

'A trifle small'

The Washington Post described the 49-year-old as ''crisp and unpretentious''.

But it was unhappy that she lacked "the stature of the legendary hosts of the distant past, namely Johnny Carson and Bob Hope".

DeGeneres was only the second woman ever to present the Oscars

Variety said it was left feeling that the presenter's routine - which included vacuuming the venue's carpet and having her photograph taken with Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese - was "a trifle small for the industry's biggest stage".

Viewership for the ceremony has fallen in recent years, with last year's show, hosted by satirical comedian Jon Stewart, earning the second-smallest audience since 1998.

And Sunday's figures were still behind the 43.5 million total secured in 2004.

De Generes - only the second woman to host the Oscars - described the night as being "harder than I thought" when she appeared on her daytime chat show, Ellen, on Monday.

"I was scared to death and I didn't know how I would do," she told viewers, adding it was "an incredible experience".