Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is friends with newly-single Katy Perry, which made it slightly awkward that she had to ask Perry's ex, John Mayer, about their recent breakup.

But really, if you have to answer awkward questions, Ellen's definitely the one you want asking them.

"It was a very private relationship going in, it was a private relationship during and it's a private relationship still," said Mayer, who's ready to start singing again after taking a hiatus to recover from throat surgery. "Coupling is a tricky thing.”

To which the lovable Ellen responded, "I just want you to be happy."

What doesn't make Mayer so happy? The fact that his throat troubles forced him to give up the love of his life: scotch, which he called "delicious poison." As he admitted, “I like singing and writing more than [that] … I had to really dial it down. So I'm a little more boring.”

Then he gave concert tickets to everyone in the audience, who reacted like girls during the height of Beatlemania.

Calm down, ladies. Unless one of you is a living, breathing bottle of Dewar's, he's probably not interested.

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