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CELEBRITY OPRAH WINFREY

the big o US talkshow host Oprah Winfrey holds such sway over TV audiences that it may not be an exaggeration to say that one of the reasons why Barack Obama was voted to the White House was Oprah’s presence at his Presidential rally, where she named him “the One” RADHIKA RAVI RAJAN OPRAH’S MAIN characteristic is her ability to make an emotional connection. Most recently, she made the news by doing a show on ‘dating violence’ in her The Oprah Winfrey Show, focusing on Chris Brown's alleged beating of singer Rihanna.

Dedicating the hour to what she described as, "all the Rihannas in the world and all young men who would think of hitting a woman," Winfrey told one member of the audience, "If you go back to a man who hit you, you don't think you're worthy of being with a man who won't." At Oprah's side was supermodel Tyra Banks, who echoed her thoughts by saying, “There's no excuse for a man to put his hands on a woman, ever, ever, ever."

It was, incidentally, not the first time that Oprah has used her extraordinary influence to shed light on a pertinent issue. And as always, she was sincere, offering a lot of websites and phone numbers for viewers in similar situations to contact.

An area where she has been able to leverage a huge impact is regarding best-selling books. Part of her TV show is her book club, Oprah’s Book Club, where she reviews a new book with other book club members. Any book that is discussed on the show, even if she doesn’t actually rave about it, becomes an instant best-seller. That’s Oprah’s avatar as the influential book critic, her own favourites being I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

by Maya Angelou, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora NealeHurston, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

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and The Color Purple by Alice Walker.

So, what makes her tick? Her other talk show compatriots are immensely popular too, but Oprah brings her own unique charm and perception, not to mention her boisterous BlackAmerican personality, to mesmerise her audiences and break the ice, like no other. This magic worked not only on her live audience, but on millions of TV audiences across the world. Before one knew it, one was hooked, eagerly waiting for the next episode of her show.

If one had to define her formula, it would be loads of warmth, with a good dose of humour, a sprinkling of stardust (Hollywood celebrities being a staple of her shows) and striking an emotional chord–this has made her one of the richest women in America. Her gross annual earnings last year touched $275 million.

A lot of her money goes towards charity, and in a way that inspires others to do the same. In 1998, Winfrey started her Oprah's Angel Network, a charity aimed at encouraging people around the world to make a difference in the lives of the underprivileged. The Angel Network has raised more than $51,000,000 ($1 million of which was donated by singer Jon Bon Jovi). In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Oprah asked her viewers to open their hearts–and they did. Donations to the Katrina registry totalled more than $11 million, which helped build homes in four states. Oprah herself gave $10 million to the cause. In all, she has

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CELEBRITY OPRAH WINFREY

donated an estimated $303 million, making her one of the most philanthropic celebrities.

Oprah also extends her generous spirit to her staff. To celebrate two decades on national TV and to thank her employees for their hard work, Oprah took her staff (and their families)–1065 people in all–on a vacation to Hawaii in the summer of 2006.

Oprah also enjoys spending money on herself. One of her favourite investments has been real estate. As she explained on one of her shows, quoting American philosopher Mark Twain, “God’s not making any more of it, so I want some before it runs out.” Her home in Montecito, California is a 42-acre estate called ‘The Promised Land’, which has amazing ocean and mountain views. She also owns a large amount of land in Maui, Hawaii. While taping her Chicago-based TV show, Oprah lives in a penthouse condo in that city.

Her internationally syndicated show has won multiple Emmy Awards and is the highest-rated talk show in the history of television. She is also an Academy Award nominated actress (for Steven Spielberg’s

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ASH ON OPRAH’S SHOW When Indian actress Aishwarya Rai was invited to Oprah’s show, it generated a lot of curiosity, especially in India.

They discussed kissing in movies, or the lack of it. Asked why there was hardly any kissing in Bollywood movies, Aishwarya replied, “I come from the land of Kama Sutra, so we obviously do have a normal, healthy, sex life. Kissing is a more private expression of emotions. So I guess, art imitates life and that, kind of, comes across in our cinema as well.” There was also a famous part on the show where Ash taught Oprah the nuances of wearing a sari.

1985 film, The Color Purple) and a magazine publisher (the magazine is titled O).

Born in rural Mississippi to a poor, teenage, single mother, Oprah has, indeed, come a long way. Her first TV chat show was People Are Talking, based in Philadelphia. The show became an instant hit and Oprah stayed with it for eight years. After this, she was engaged by a Chicago TV station to host her own morning show, A.M. Chicago. Her competitor in that time slot was Phil Donahue. But in several months, Oprah's personal style won her 100,000 more viewers than Donahue and took her show from the last place to the first in the ratings.

With her popularity growing, Oprah launched her own show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, in 1986, as a nationally syndicated programme. With its placement on 120 channels and an audience of 10 million people, the show grossed $125 million by

the end of its first year, of which, Oprah received $30 million. She soon gained ownership of the programme from ABC, drawing it under the control of her new production company, Harpo Productions ('Oprah' spelled backwards) and making more and more money from syndication.

So, is there a man in her life? Stedman Graham has been a constant since 1986. But they are yet to tie the knot. In 2003, Oprah told Essence magazine, "The truth of the matter is, had we gotten married, we wouldn't be together now, because in no way is this a traditional relationship."

Oprah also famously loves her dogs and has made them the focus of several of her shows. Recently, Ivan–one of two puppies adopted by Oprah from PAWS Shelter in Chicago–died of parvovirus, while a second, Sadie, was being treated against the highly contagious virus.

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