Oprah: ‘No Regrets’ On Leaving ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’

Tags:

Oprah Winfrey,TV,CBS,Gayle King,TV One

enlarge

1/11

HARPO Productions
Oprah Winfrey announces during a live broadcast of ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ in Chicago that her daytime television show, the foundation of a multibillion-dollar media empire with legions of fans, will end its run in 2011 after 25 seasons on the air
FilmMagic
Stedman Graham and Oprah Winfrey at the Starry Night Benefit Honoring Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at Villa Casablanca in Malibu on July 22, 2006
WireImage
Oprah Winfrey speaks onstage at the ‘Precious: Based On The Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire’ press conference held at the Four Seasons Hotel on September 13, 2009 in Toronto, Canada
Getty Images
Oprah Winfrey shares a laugh with Tom Cruise at the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Press Conference, Oslo, Norway, Dec. 11, 2004
Getty Images
Halle Berry and Oprah Winfrey attend the cocktail reception for the 16th Carousel of Hope presented by Mercedes-Benz benefiting the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 23, 2004
Getty Images
Oprah Winfrey attends the 76th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater on February 29, 2004
Getty Images
Oprah Winfrey and Sesame Street Muppet Elmo attend the Sesame Workshop’s Second Annual Benefit Gala June 2, 2004
Getty Images
Oprah Winfrey attends the 30th Annual People’s Choice Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium January 11, 2004
WireImage
Oprah Winfrey takes to the mic as she wins the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, the 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, Los Angeles, Sept. 22, 2002
WireImage
Oprah Winfrey poses at the 1st anniversary party for O magazine, NYC, April 17, 2001
Getty Images
Oprah Winfrey arrives to the 17th Annual Women In Entertainment Power 100 Breakfast

hottest galleries

more galleries

FIRST PUBLISHED: November 23, 2009 11:25 AM EST

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

Oprah Winfrey is speaking out for the first time since announcing on Friday that she will end “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2011.

“I have no regrets,” Oprah told best friend Gayle King on her Sirius XM radio show on Monday. “There was only one time I teared up about it…talking to the viewers. It’s the viewers that choked me up about it.”

The talk show host revealed that her third phone call after telling her employees was to a fellow daytime host.

“When I told all my Harpo team, I was perfectly fine,” the talk show maven said. “[Disney President/CEO] Bob Iger was the first call, then [CBS President/CEO] Les Moonves, then Ellen [DeGeneres.] That is the only time my voice cracked. I’m not tortured, I just had to tell my employees.”

Oprah reiterated how deep she felt the desire to end her show – along with how it felt good numerically.

“In my bones,” she told Gayle about the desire to leave. “I love numbers… 2010, even number, or do I go to 25 years? How can I do it past 2011? I can’t.”

Oprah explained producing her show is a lot more tricky today compared to 25 years ago.

“It’s 100 percent harder to do the show now then when I first started,” she told Gayle.

As for details on Oprah’s new show and network – the talk show queen still doesn’t know the specifics.

“What is next?” Oprah said of the tasks ahead when asked about the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). “And what is that show is going to look like?”

Keep your Access to everything in Hollywood! Breaking news and personal commentary from Billy, Tony, Shaun, Maria & all of our producers! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter now!