300 ‘Ecstatic’ Oprah Audience Members Land in Australia
300 joyful Oprah Winfrey audience members arrived in Australia from the U.S. on Tuesday to begin their trip of a lifetime as winners of the talk show queen’s ultimate giveaway – an eight-day journey across the land Down Under, according to Popeater.com and wire services.
The audience members, who ranged in age from 18 to 75, were met by swarms of photographers and journalists as they stepped off the plane. The media jostled for position, screaming questions at Oprah’s audience as if they were visiting rock stars!
Later, the audience will be divided into smaller groups and swept away on a Grand tour of the the glittering Great Barrier Reef, the crocodile-infested rainforests of northern Oz, and the famous red monolith called Uluru, located in the remote and dusty Outback.
Winfrey kicked off her 25th and final season of ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ in September by surprising her shrieking, jumping and sobbing fans with what she’s billed as the trip of a lifetime. The hand-picked audience was made up of some of who the program called its most loyal viewers over the years.
“It’s an unbelievable experience, and I just want to soak in every bit of it,” said Jocelyn Kelley, from Boston, who was traveling with her mother, Gloria. “To be in that audience, to be a part of something so big, is just amazing.”
Oprah, who will be arriving later on a private jet, had a special date with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington D.C. yesterday.
She was one of 5 Kennedy Center Honorees. Oprah’s arrival down under is being kept a closely guarded secret — as was her audience’s itinerary — which they learned upon their arrival. It is believed Oprah will touch down sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Oprah will film 2 episodes in Australia at the Opera House which is being renamed the ‘Oprah’ House. The bill for the $4 million trip will be split between Australia’s federal and state governments. Officials say that’s a small price to pay for the many millions of dollars of tourism advertising the show will bring.
“Oprah is a household name, not just in the United States but in the 145 countries where the show is broadcast,” Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson said in a statement. “That Oprah has chosen Australia as her Ultimate Adventure destination sends a powerful message to her millions of fans around the world.”
“I would have never thought little bitty ol’ me would ever have this opportunity,” said Orlando Bogins of Detroit. “It came at such a very hard time in my life – my mom had nine hours (of) surgery, I was laid off from my job and my house had been broken into. So we had all of that happen, and then I got notification that I was selected to go on the Oprah show.”
About 30 blacks (out of 300 mostly white giveaway winners) made the trip to Australia.
Katherine Jackson On Oprah (Full Interview)
Talk Diva Oprah Winfrey’s exclusive interview with Katherine Jackson aired yesterday after weeks of hype and build up.
The interview drops a few gems, such as clips from private home movies, Katherine’s recollection of the day Michael decided to get a nose job, and when she forces Joe Jackson to admit he whipped Michael with a belt.
Michael Jackson’s adopted children, Prince Michael I, Paris Katherine and Prince Michael II (Blanket), joined Katherine and Oprah later on in the segment (Part 3). Oprah even interviews Jermaine’s baby mama and their 3 offspring.
I was hoping Paris and Prince would mention how Michael dyed their hair blond when they were younger to make them appear more Aryan. Or whether they thought he was really their biological father. But I guess that would have been too much to ask.
The interview was pre-recorded at the beautiful, sprawling Encino family compound where young Michael and his brothers and sisters grew up after the family moved to the west coast from Gary, Indiana.
The mansion is now home to Michael’s adopted children and Jermaine Jackson’s baby mama and 3 sons. I remember when Michael paid the mansion off for Katherine after Joe Jackson left his mother for another woman. Joe and Katherine eventually reunited.
Critics say Michael would have strenuously objected to his children’s appearance on Oprah — especially since she practically labeled him a child molester while he was still alive.
Click link for parts 2 and 3
Lesbian Video: Oprah and Gayle Joke About Being Lovers
It’s about time talk show Guru Oprah Winfrey came clean about her relationship with BFF Gayle King.
Oprah released a video of her recent camping trip to Yosemite National Park with Gayle, in which she joked about the two of them being lovers.
“Let’s just add to that lesbian rumor,” joked Gayle while leading the way into their camper.
“Come on in, baby!” teased Gayle. [link]
They may have been joking on video, but you know behind every joke is a kernel of truth. So I’ll consider this Oprah and Gayle’s coming out video. I love the two of them together.
The sad part is Oprah (a notorious narcissist) can’t go anywhere without taking a camera crew along with her.
Why couldn’t the two lovers go on their camping trip alone without documenting their every move?
Click to watch video
Entire Cast of ‘Sound of Music’ Reunite On Oprah
In case you missed it: the entire cast of the classic 60s musical ‘The Sound of Music’ reunited for the first time in 45 years on Oprah yesterday.
The reason the cast never reunited before was due to the narcissism of actor Christopher Plummer who famously hated on the movie and assumed it was great only because he was in it.
Plummer, 80, stubbornly refused to reunite with the cast in 45 years. So it’s a testament to the respect that Oprah commands that she was able to convince him to participate.
You couldn’t be a child growing up in London and not be familiar this movie. We learned the words to every song in school a few years after the movie came out. ‘The Sound of Music’ earned 5 Oscar Awards and a slew of Oscar nominations.
‘The Sound of Music’ merged the beautiful sounds of the Von Trapp children singers (a real family) with the horrors of Hitler’s World War II. It remains the greatest musical ever.
Click link to read more
First Pic of Oprah and Stedman (and Gayle) in over a Decade
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen talk show Guru Oprah Winfrey, together with the man she claims is her beau, author and journeyman Stedman Graham.
In the past decade we’ve seen hundreds, if not thousands, of pics of Oprah and her rumored ladylove, Gayle King, together. But no pics of Stedman as Oprah managed to keep him under wraps and out of the public eye.
We almost forgot Stedman existed. But the Getty Images paparazzi caught up with him in the flesh earlier this month, vacationing with Oprah — and Gayle — in the Greek islands.
The trio toured the Greek islands on a private yacht and were spotted on the island of Kefallonia in the Ionian sea, according to the Greek Reporter blog. Oprah swam every day and the locals reportedly described her “nice and friendly.”
But the trip was not all fun and games. According to USA Today, Graham’s mother died on August 10, and Oprah (and Gayle) attended the funeral this past Saturday in Whitesboro, NJ.
Celebs Out & About: Jay Z, Oprah, Christiano Ronaldo
Rapper Jay Z returned with a friend industry exec Steve Stout to the trendy upscale Nello restaurant to have lunch today. He showed off his new iPhone 4 which he doesn’t seem too thrilled with.
After playing with his toy at the table, Jay Z enjoyed his lunch at the Upper East Side eatery where the rich and famous go to canoodle over $65 asparagus shoots and $75 lobster salad.
Usher ft. Will.I.Am Perform “OMG” Live On Oprah
Usher’s live performance on the Oprah Show today was spectacular! He performed his entire routine without losing his breath or his step. That’s the mark of a consummate professional!
Usher and Will.I.Am performed his #1 hit “OMG” while Oprah giggled like a school girl on the side of the stage. At the end of his performance, Usher tossed his sweaty sunglasses over at Oprah who caught them and put them on! Great performance!
