Fans praise talk show legend over groundbreaking royal tell-all

Her explosive interview with Harry and Meghan sent shockwaves through the royal family – but it has cemented Oprah’s status as an American icon.

As the royal family reels from Harry and Meghan’s devastating Oprah Winfrey tell-all, one clear winner has emerged – the talk show icon herself.

For decades, the billionaire has been one of the most recognisable – and popular – personalities on the planet.

But her latest, historic scoop has seen her dubbed the “Queen of America” by her adoring fans.

According to the Washington Post, Winfrey sold the interview to CBS’s ViacomCBS for a reported $US7 million ($A9 million), and the special was viewed by more than 17 million people – including more than 1.78 million Aussies who tuned in to Network 10 on Monday night.

Since the interview went to air, it has been praised by ordinary viewers and media insiders alike, with many crowning Oprah the “Queen of America” for her shrewd interviewing skills which allowed her to effortlessly switch from lighthearted baby news to revelations of suicidal thoughts and heartbreaking royal family feuds.

American has a queen and her name is Oprah Winfrey. I don’t make the rules.

— Lydia Polgreen (@lpolgreen) March 8, 2021

#Oprah is a damn QUEEN. QUEEN OF 🇺🇸 AMERICA 🇺🇸

— Ali Stagnitta (@alistagnitta) March 8, 2021

Correct me if I’m wrong, but @Oprah is the Queen of America, right? #MeghanandHarryonOprah

— Wells Adams (@WellsAdams) March 8, 2021

New York University journalism professor Jay Rosen declared the tell-all as “the best interview I ever watched” while political commentator Bakari Sellers said: “Respectfully, no one else could’ve done this like Oprah.”

Vogue contributing editor Michelle Ruiz wrote that Oprah had reminded the world “how sharp and sage an interviewer she is”, while author and Inc.com’s contributing editor Bill Murphy Jr described the interview as “a master class in emotional intelligence” and praised her “stellar performance”.

Commentators applauded Oprah’s methodical pursuit of the story, which began back in 2018 when the media legend began forging a relationship with Meghan Markle years before a pay off was on the cards.

Murphy Jr also praised the structure of the interview itself, with Meghan interviewed alone first before being joined by her husband, which he described as “brilliant … especially if she thought that Meghan would be the more forthcoming, talkative, and engaging of the two”.

He also highlighted her decision to ask “questions that kept the focus 100 per cent on Meghan’s experience, and then Harry’s as well” rather than fall into the trap of “drawing parallels” with her iconic 1996 interview with Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, which covered many similar complaints.

As a result, the interview covered a string of truly shocking revelations that took even the most seasoned royal watchers by surprise.

RELATED: Queen responds to shock Oprah interview

An emotional Meghan Markle revealed her mental health struggles.

Some of the most explosive claims include Meghan’s declining mental health and the palace’s refusal to help, allegations that concerns were raised about baby Archie’s skin colour by a family member, and the decision to deny Archie the title of prince – and the security and protection that comes with it.

Those bombshells are so explosive they threaten the foundation of the royal family and the saga has easily become one of the biggest royal scandals in modern history – and we have America’s own monarch to thank for bringing those grave accusations into the public domain.

OPRAH’S METEORIC RISE

Oprah was born in Mississippi to unmarried teen housemaid, Vernita Lee, and spent the first six years of her life in poverty, being raised by her maternal grandmother.

In the ’70s, Winfrey landed her first TV job on a CBS station in Tennessee while she was still studying in college.

But two years later, after a transfer to a different station in Maryland, Winfrey’s career stalled as she was deemed “too emotional”.

RELATED: TV host leaves job after Meghan rage

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dropped bombshell after bombshell.

In 1978 she was transferred again to another program, People Are Talking, where she rapidly made a name for herself, and within a couple years her show was rating higher than rival and legendary media personality Phil Donahue.

In 1983 she accepted a gig as a talk-show host in Chicago, and the program quickly became the most popular in the city.

It was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and expanded to run for an hour. In 1986, Winfrey was nominated for an Oscar for her role in film The Color Purple, and her celebrity status was confirmed.

She syndicated her show nationally, and in 1988 she bought Harpo Studios, becoming the first black person and third woman to own and run their own major studio – all at the age of 32.

Those decisions put her firmly on the path to riches, with her net worth topping $40 million by 1988.

RELATED: Glaring question Oprah didn’t ask

Oprah reacts to the news Meghan is expecting a baby girl in the US summer.

Throughout the ’90s, the popularity of the show continued to rise and she expanded her company into new territory including print and online media, musicals, film and television.

During that decade she launched her magazine, O, and co-wrote several best-selling books.

She reached billionaire status in the noughties, and finally ended her show in 2011, when she created the Oprah Winfrey Network, serving as CEO.

In January 2018, following her powerful speech covering gender and race in Hollywood while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille award at the 75th annual Golden Globes, it was rumoured Winfrey might be considering running for president, although she later poured cold water on the suggestion.

Later that year, the showbiz legend was named as the first female black entrepreneur to make it onto the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, taking out the 486th spot thanks to her incredible $US4.04 billion fortune.