The world meets Oprah
In 1986, Oprah's talk show went national and the world met their new best friend. She remained a daily presence in households around the world for 25 years, with an ever changing array of hairstyles (as this video proves).
Wheeling out the fat
What does 67 pounds of fat look like? In 1988, Oprah shows the audience how much weight she lost, wheeling out a wagon loaded with exactly that amount of fat.
Tearful truths
In 1990, Oprah broke down in tears while interviewing Truddi Chase, a woman who suffered a brutal sexual assault as a child and developed split personality disorder as a result. Chase was diagnosed with 92 personalities.
Michael Jackson's big reveal
In 1993, Michael Jackson invited Oprah to his Neverland ranch, where he revealed he had the chronic skin condition vitiligo. 90 million viewers tuned in, making it the most watched episode ever.
Dreams come true
Oprah regularly made other people's dreams come true but in 1997, she fulfilled her own lifelong dream, touring with Tina Turner and dancing with her on stage.
Mandela
Oprah met and interviewed Nelson Mandela on several occasions, revealing another side of the Nobel Peace Prize-winner.
The epic car giveaway
In 2004, Oprah made television history (again) giving every each of the 276 members of the audience a The Pontiac G6. Fans attending tomorrow night's live show can only dream....
The couch jump
Who can forget Tom Cruise's couch-jumping declaration of love for Katie Holmes? The marriage may not have lasted but this moment lives on forever.
![Tom Cruise shocked both Oprah and the world, when he jumped on the couch announcing he was in love with Katie Holmes.](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/4JI5MHP24TK5LIPMTAGQRK6AYE.jpg?auth=4d869158d4293416ae06c9cb98d2cd0fbd210affb2a6f4b719fb76f3c12c5e6d&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
Asking the hard questions
Oprah may play the role of a chatty best friend but she was never afraid to ask the tough questions when required. When Oprah discovered author James Frey's memoir A Million Little Pieces wasn't true, she took the author to task, confronting him and forcing him to tell the truth. The pair caught up again five years later to clear the air.
Family secrets
![Oprah with her half-sister Patricia Lee.](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/LEAE5HHP647TF6GLBS2IAFQJMI.jpg?auth=b112ec9d3888de0700a70be734a9d1d9117c71ca979ca57cf1cbdeb5a6422f3a&width=16&height=9&quality=70&smart=true)
In 2011, Oprah revealed to the world that she had a secret half-sister, Patricia Lee, who her mother had given up for adoption. Oprah later described Patricia as "the perfect sister".
![](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/CAP344NTIA2SUOAA3S2T7S4UQM.jpg?auth=cf803525ee22e070950a29b274c291e3f8ca7cb9c99b79d5418f1d18f21b6f2c&width=16&height=3&quality=70&smart=true)