Although she had a tough upbringing, Oprah Winfrey exudes positivity. As the inspirational star turns 70 this week, she reflects on her incredible success, cherished relationships and unwavering self-belief
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THE WORLD’S SWEETHEART
Despite growing up on a humble farm in Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey said she “always knew she was destined for greatness”.
Describing her hugely successful career as a talk-show host, actress, philanthropist and author as something of a “calling”, the star had a feeling that her life would end up being miles away from where she grew up, both literally and metaphorically.
This self-belief from such a young age is all the more remarkable when you consider that Oprah, who is set to celebrate her 70th birthday on 29 January, had something of a traumatic childhood and start in life.
Having spent the first six years of her life living apart from her teenage mother Vernita (who had already split from dad Vernon), she was brought up by her grandmother on a pig farm.
She said, “I remember a specific moment, watching my grandmother hang the clothes on the line, and her saying to me, ‘You are going to have to learn to do this,’ and me being in that space of awareness and knowing that my life would not be the same as my grandmother’s life.”
She certainly wasn’t wrong, and Oprah overcame horrific events – such as being sexually abused by her teenage cousin at just nine years old, after she had moved to Wisconsin to live with her mother – going on to become one of the most powerful and influential women in the world, as well as a billionaire to boot.
Calling herself a “teacher”, it’s Oprah’s ability to connect with others that led to her enormous success as a TV host, and the down-to-earth star always had just as much time for members of the audience as she did for her celebrity guests.
The Oprah Winfrey Show, which launched in 1986, fast became the highest-rated daytime series in the US, and by the time it ended its run in 2011, viewers felt like Oprah was part of their family.
Her relatability has always been the key to Oprah’s success, as well as her willingness to share her own vulnerabilities to ask the important questions in life.
Some of her most iconic interviews have been with figures such as the late Michael
