KELLY GETS UNDER ELLEN'S THIN SKIN!

ELLEN DEGENERES is locked in a fierce war with upstart chatterbox Kelly Clarkson, who’s vowed to unseat the catty comic as TV’s talk show queen bee, insiders say!

While Ellen currently rules the roost of gabby cluckers, she’s feeling Kelly’s heat and it’s triggering mood explosions, spies tell GLOBE.

“Kelly’s been pushing her buttons and Ellen’s been cussing behind the scenes,” a source tattles. “She’s worried about ratings and Kelly getting ahead of her. What makes it worse is Kelly’s touting it all over town.

“A lot of people think Ellen’s soft and mushy and a real pushover, but she’s not. She can get in a bad mood real fast.”