Oprah Winfrey announced on her live show today that it would come to an end in about 18 months, in 2011. Oprah’s statement didn’t come as a surprise, as there have been rumors for some time that she would end her show in 2011. Her spokesperson even a confirmed the news yesterday. I watched Oprah’s statement via TMZ (video above) and I found it both heartfelt and a little moving. I’m not a real Oprah fan and I find her a little too far up her own butt most of the time, but I did get the impression that it was very hard for her to say goodbye and that she genuinely cares about her fans. She cried a little when she talked about all the years she’d been on the air and you could tell that she had to work to pull herself together. Oprah assured us that the reason she’s leaving is because it’s just time, and that all the rumors we’re hearing about why she’s ending the show are just conjecture:
“Twenty five years feels right in my bones and right in my spirit,” she told her audience, at times tearing up during the announcement. “It is the exact right time.” Winfrey also acknowledged her loyal fan base: “For some of you long time Oprah viewers you have literally grown up with me. You have your family and you raised your children and you left a spot for me in your morning and afternoon…[that] has brought me the greatest joy I have ever known.”
[From Radar]
TMZ said Oprah engaged in some “shameless promotion for her next season,” and she did mention the next season and asked people to tune in, but what do they expect? This is Oprah, she’s the queen of self promotion. She has a real knack for making us feel enlightened for choosing to pay attention to her pearls of wisdom. In her closing remarks, she said “The countdown to the end of the Oprah Winfrey show starts now. Until the end… I intend to soak up every joyful, meaningful moment with you.” Oh Oprah, you’re probably right that you need to give it a rest finally. It must get exhausting trying to bring so much meaning and fulfillment to the masses.
I am crying with joy over the annoncement!
I kind of wonder if she’s thinking, “yay! I can binge without having to pretend I care about the consequences and do yet another show about my extraordinary weight loss and five bazillionth aha moment!”
She looks like she could use a nap.
I like Oprah. I so admire what she’s made of herself and I respect her a lot. I don’t watch her show but I surprised my mom with a subscription to her magazine and read each issue.
We don’t get the Oprah show where I live, but whenever I catch her show in other parts of the world it’s simply blatant that she’s just exhausted of doing the show. Bags under her eyes and a lack of her typical enthusiasm. It’s time.
I respect what Oprah has made of herself also, but at the same time my first reaction upon reading this news was “Who cares?” Her show may end (and I’ll believe that when I see it) but she and her gynormous ego will not be out of the public eye – fear not!
Let’s see…cable network to run AND do a daily show, or just run a network. Easy call. Tears? Fake.
She’ll run for some sort of Office in 2012…mark my words!
GOD HELP US!!!
not a oprah fan, so i don’t care
Yaaaaaaaaaay!
Somewhere Tyra is crying tears of joy and polishing her tiara to take her place.
Love her or hate her, you have to admire Oprah Winfrey for her class, professionalism and tenacity. She’s moving onto a much more riskier venture and I wish her the best of luck. Unlike many of her detractors, I want her to succeed.
@Sincerity – Totally agree with you.
Also, Tyra’s got another thing coming if she thinks that she’s going to assume the throne. There’s no way in heck that her show will ever be as successful as Oprah’s.
*I smile whilst listening to the announcement* 😀
I remember watching The Oprah Winfrey Show when I was 5 or 6 years old and I’m 29!!! Wow.
I think she made a great decision to stop the show after 25 years, all good things must come to an end one day.
I grew up with Oprah and in a way she and her many guests had thought & inspired me more than my own teachers and many other people in my life did by telling their stories and sharing their experiences with us.
I’m from the Netherlands (the other part of the world)and watched her show since 1987, i don’t think people in America know how much impact she had in the rest of the world ? She is not perfect and no God but at least she tried to give something back and do something positive with her life, what is so wrong about that ? I guess this a blog and everybody has the right to their own opinion, if you don’t want to watch her show you can always switch to another channel ?
By the way…Oprah always had bags under her eyes since she was a kid so her retirement has nothing to do with being tired, it’s just time for something else.
p.s. : Loved her dress
OK, she’s a good talk-show host and she’s been a ratings survivor. A “cultural” phenomenon, if you will. But after all the fuss I heard in the media, I thought this was her LAST show. Only to find that she’s announcing her retirement a good while from now.
NPR ran with this one! OK she’s wonderful but can we put things in a little perspective?
For the most part, she was in the right place at the right time and got really lucky. Good for her. I like to see people succeed.
While she might be ending her show, she will be far from retired.
I think Oprah should take a few billions of her dollars and save the state of California. They need money badly in that state, and Oprah is one of the few people in the world who has the bucks to rescue them. Doesn’t she care at all about Arnold Schwarzenegger? Aren’t they friends?
I am going to miss her. She brought a lot of help to abused children and many other worthy causes just by bringing attention to them. Children never had a more powerful advocate than Oprah Winfrey. The money she has spent on children’s causes is beyond generous. I wish her the best and may she have a great life as she goes forward.
Oh yeah, well there’s still another two years of the show to go! Some retirement.
That woman is a fake – right down to her crocodile tears. She will probably get back to her early Oprah Winfrey Show weight, too, in no time at all, once she goes.
Oprah, good riddance – your show is full of you sucking up to celebrities or politicians, or promoting the likes of that horribly “plastic” Dr Phil or that other so-called medical “guru” who looks as though he could benefit from a good feed.
I am going to miss her as well. I think she set a great standard and precedent for many other wannabees to follow. She launched the careers of many persons that you people on here love to admire (Rachel Ray, Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz) yet you all still continue to poop on Oprah. She is a caring person who’s brought alot of important issues to the dinner tables for many American families to discuss and debate and it saddens me the way her detractors continue to insult her. Maybe you didn’t grow up with her and learn to appreciate her the way your moms did back in the day. But I grew up with her and have been watching her show since middle school and have come to really admire her.
I am truly going to miss her and her great show.
Her show sucks for the most part, but I admire what she’s made of herself through her own efforts and hard work.
I don’t see the purpose of announcing now that she is supposedly retiring when it’s not till 2011.
Remember she is also an actress so do you really believe those are real tears.
Also I have been reading online that she is moving her show to her own network so how can she even say she is retiring.
She cwied while sharing with her audience news of her retirement. How touching.
Next stop, her widdle “mansion” in Montecito.
Why stay in Chicago?
It’s fweezing in Chicago.
Take the money and run, Oprah.
Nice.
Good luck to her. I’m not a massive fan, but she has helped a lot of people. I just wish she’d wear lighter eye makeup, that heavy black stuff makes her eyes look teeny tiny and doesn’t flatter her at all.
Oprah… thanks 4 the meaningfull show… God’s love u… thats 4 sure…
i love oprah, am working so hard to be like her…I pray God to bless her for inspiring black African women.