It's Official! Oprah Winfrey is calling it quits after more than 20 years of doing her daytime talk show.
According to sources, Oprah told her staff yesterday afternoon in a company meeting.
Also yesterday, Tim Bennett, president of Oprah's Harpo Productions, announced that she will leave "Oprah" in September 2011.
Oprah will confirm the news on her show today.
"The Oprah Winfrey Show" will not be moving to the Oprah Winfrey Network as was rumored.
Here's Tim Bennett's statement that he sent to stations across the country that carry Oprah's show:
"Dear Friends:
Over the past several weeks, my team and I have had conversations with many of you to help address your questions about the future of "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Of course, the one question we couldn't answer was the one that only Oprah could. And tomorrow, she will do just that.
But before she speaks to her loyal viewers, we wanted to share her decision first with you -- our valued partners for more than two decades.
Oprah will announce live on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that she has decided to end what is arguably one of the most popular, influential and enduring programs in television history. The sun will set on the "Oprah" show as its 25th season draws to a close on September 9, 2011.
We welcome you to share this news this evening with your colleagues and viewers. As we all know, Oprah's personal comments about this on tomorrow's live show will mark an historic television moment that we will all be talking about for years to come.
We want to thank you for the partnership and friendship we have shared over the years. Your invaluable support has helped us to create the phenomenon of the "Oprah Show" that we've all been so proud to be a part of for the last 24 years. My staff and I will be calling all of you directly tonight and tomorrow. We look forward to speaking with you.
And, if you think the last quarter century has been something, then "don't touch that dial" as together we plan to make history in the next 20 months ... and beyond.
You know what you want . . . and I know when you can get it: Playgirl.com will post the first of its LEVI JOHNSTON NUDES tomorrow.
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CHRIS BROWN CHECKS IN WITH A JUDGE.
Chris Brown went to see a judge in Los Angeles yesterday and he had some good thing to say about Chris.
At his first checkup hearing since being sentenced for attacking Rihanna, the judge said she had gotten "an extremely favorable progress report" on him from the probation department.
Brown has given the court DNA samples, paid all fines and court fees, performed more than 100 hours of community service and completed seven domestic violence classes to date.
His next hearing will be in February.
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AMY WINEHOUSE'S DAD SAYS HIS LITTLE GIRL... HAS LEAKY BOOBS.
Amy Winehouse's dad decided to give the real reason Amy's been in the hospital: her breasts are leaking!
Amy had a boob job recently and according to Mitch, one of them may have burst.
As he pointed to his chest, Mitch said: "She wasn't in the hospital because she had a cold. She's fine, she just had a little leaky something or other."
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'LOST' RETURNS IN FEB.
ABC has set a Feb. 2 return date for Lost, which will air this season Tuesdays at 9 ET/PT. It will premiere with a two-hour episode, following a re-cap episode at 8.
ABC also revealed the roster of this season's regular stars: Naveen Andrews, Nestor Carbonell, Emile de Ravin, Michael Emerson, Jeff Fahey, Matthew Fox, Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway, Daniel Dae Kim, Yunjin Kim, Ken Leung, Evangeline Lilly, Terry O'Quinn and Zuleikha Robinson.
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