Oprah Winfrey is gearing up to return to Australia for a five-date national speaking tour in November. The visit will mark 15 years since the talk show star last journeyed Down Under.
The talk show star will host five exclusive 'In Conversation' live events across the country produced by leading entertainment company TEG Dainty. The 71-year-old is also set to indulge in a private holiday during her visit to Australia.
© WireImageOprah last visited Australia in 2010 to film four special episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show at the Sydney Opera House, which was playfully nicknamed the Oprah House for the occasion.
The tour was a sell-out success, drawing 300 eager fans to the venue in hopes of winning surprise giveaways and witnessing Hugh Jackman’s unforgettable zip-line mishap. The show also featured a heartfelt moment when a $250,000 donation was made to a cancer patient, leaving the audience deeply moved.
© AFP via Getty ImagesHowever, the show wasn’t without controversy, with reports claiming it cost Australian taxpayers $5 million. At the time, Oprah defended the expense, describing it as a valuable investment in boosting the country’s tourism industry. The special episodes were aired in 145 countries.
To mark the 25th and final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah brought 300 audience members with her to Australia for an unforgettable experience. "This is really my last chance to do something really big," she told her audience at the time.
"So I started to think about where would I most want to go. We're going to Australia!"
Oprah's comment on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
The news comes after the talk show legend made a cheeky comment about her neighbors Meghan Markle and Prince Harry while speaking at the Godmothers Bookstore in Summerland, California.
© Getty"I love Meghan and Harry, but I still can’t get over that last name. Sussex? Sounds like a soap brand I’d find in a hotel bathroom," she said.
Meghan attended the event but chose not to comment, offering only a polite smile in response.
The event was part of a weekend gathering hosted by literary agent Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and cosmetics entrepreneur Victoria Jackson. The Sussexes attended alongside notable names such as Ellen DeGeneres, Jane Lynch, and Ted Sarandos.
Oprah's home
© Paul MorigiKnown as The Promised Land, the chat show owns a 70-acre estate which includes a main 23,000sqft mansion in Montecito, California. Oprah reportedly purchased the sprawling estate in 2001 for $50 million. Since then, its value has doubled, with current estimates placing it at an impressive $100 million.
