Oprah Defends Show's Health Claims

Tweet got talk show queen in trouble with Nielsen

(NEWSER) - We all know the Oprah Winfrey Network is struggling with ratings —but apparently the situation is so bad that Winfrey herself felt the need to tweet a request for viewers on Sunday night, as the Grammys were airing. "Every 1 who can please turn to OWN especially if u have a Nielsen box," she tweeted just before Oprah's Next Chapter aired. An uproar quickly ensued, with some slamming Oprah for "begging for viewers," Fox News reports. More»

Don't underestimate the president, Christie warns

(NEWSER) - Chris Christie had surprisingly positive words for Barack Obama in a recent sit-down with Oprah Winfrey, calling him "very charismatic" and "genuine." Asked about the president's chances for re-election, Christie replied, "I think those who underestimate Barack Obama underestimate him at their own peril. He is as good a politician as I've ever seen. ... I think what he says he believes, he believes. That's a very dangerous politician." The interview airs Sunday at 9pm EST on Oprah's Next Chapter, but the AP has a preview. More»

1.1M tune in, but Winfrey will likely need to boost that audience

(NEWSER) - Oprah's new talk show debuted Sunday night, and just 1.1 million people watched. That may sound like a lot at first—and, in fact, it is the second largest audience for any show on the struggling Oprah Winfrey Network—but not when you consider Winfrey averaged 6.5 million viewers in the last season of her old daytime show, Piers Morgan premiered in Larry King's old slot to an audience of 2.1 million, and the History Channel's Pawn Stars averaged more than 5 million viewers last month. More»

Hey, not everybody can be interesting: Seth Abramovitch

(NEWSER) - Needless to say, Gawker isn’t all that impressed with Barbara Walters’ annual list of the year’s 10 most fascinating people . The good news is, that didn’t stop blogger Seth Abramovitch from offering up his own list, of the year’s 10 least fascinating people, in response:

• Piers Morgan: “The turnip-headed reality star turned CNN seat-filler loves Twitter wars and speaking over his guests almost as much as no one gives a s*** about him.”
• Brett Ratner: Despite getting himself in the middle of an Oscars-related controversy this year, he “remains the least interesting filmmaker of his generation” and you probably can’t think of a single interesting scene in a movie he’s made.

Huge residence features solarium, views of Lake Michigan

(NEWSER) - Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey’s Chicago digs are fit for, well, a queen—and for just $15,000 a month, you can enjoy them. That’s how much her 4,607-square-foot apartment is renting for, and for that price you’ll get stunning views of Lake Michigan from the library—and the 1,200-square-foot master bedroom, which boasts 10-foot ceilings. The luxurious home is located in a 1913 Beaux Arts building in the Gold Coast neighborhood, which Zillow notes is home to the penthouses and mansions of other VIPs as well. More»