Oprah As ’60 Minutes’ Special Contributor Could Get Political


Oprah Winfrey has been named a special contributor to 60 Minutes, according to CBS News. The executive producer of the hour-long program Jeff Fager himself announced the news on Tuesday.

Oprah, the famous broadcaster and philanthropist, is set to appear for the first time on 60 Minutes this fall. Making the announcement, Fager admitted that there’s “only one Oprah Winfrey.”

Fager praised Oprah for achieving “excellence in everything she has touched.” Indeed, in addition to being an esteemed broadcaster and philanthropist, she has also been a renowned producer and actress, who has had an enviable amount of influence on American people in the past few decades.

“Her body of work is extraordinary, including thousands of interviews with people from all walks of life.”

Fager praised Oprah for being such “a remarkable and talented woman” with a “level of integrity” that makes her stand out from the crowd in today’s world and makes her “a perfect fit” for 60 Minutes. The CBS News hour-long program’s exec also added that he’s thrilled to have Oprah be part of the broadcast.

“I am thrilled that she will be bringing her unique and powerful voice to our broadcast.”

Oprah seems no less thrilled about being named a special contributor for 60 Minutes as she said she has been “a big admirer” of the broadcast since she was just starting out as a young reporter.

Oprah shared that she views 60 Minutes as “the bastion of journalistic storytelling.” The broadcaster spoke about the importance of the broadcast “at a time when people are so divided,” possibly hinting at the controversies surrounding Donald Trump’s presidency.

Although Oprah’s initial reaction to Trump’s surprise win in the presidential election was negative, after watching the then-President-elect meet with the then-U.S. President Barack Obama in the White House, the broadcaster felt slight comfort.

With her time on 60 Minutes, Oprah said she wants to bring “relevant insight and perspective,” to study things that “separate us” as well as to help “facilitate real conversations between people from different backgrounds.”

For decades of being at the forefront of the TV world, Oprah has established a solid connection with the American people. The broadcaster served as host of her own award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show for 25 years.

Hosting the highest-rated television program of its kind in TV history, Oprah founded her own production company, Harpo Productions, which gave birth to such major TV projects as Dr. Phil and The Dr. Oz Show. The production company has also been developing motion pictures, including award-winning Selma. In 1985, the TV mogul starred in Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple, which landed her an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress.

Oprah is currently busy filming for upcoming HBO movie The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks as well as Disney’s film called A Wrinkle in Time. Despite her successful TV and film career, Oprah was actually fired from her first job as an anchor, according to Vogue.

As surprising as it may sound, but Oprah’s first-ever producer told her she was “unfit for television news.” Oprah, who has been on TV for decades, had been offered a job as a co-anchor on Baltimore’s WJZ-TV, but seven months later the producer fired her.

In addition to filming for her new TV and movie projects, Oprah has also been busy losing weight lately. Oprah, who joined Weight Watchers in late 2015, claims she has lost 42.5 pounds thanks to the program that inspires a healthier lifestyle through an individualized approach. Oprah also purchased a considerable share in the company.

Oprah’s weight-loss journey is so remarkable, because the TV mogul has spoken out about her struggles with weight for decades. In 1985, the broadcaster complained about gaining 70 pounds as a result of trying one diet after another.

[Featured Image by Mike Windle/Getty Images]

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