Oprah Winfrey: Why I won't be running for US President in 2020
The American talk-show queen prefers English muffins, walks in the woods and yachting holidays with the Obamas
What’s the view from your sofa?
I have the most fantastic TV room. We call it a screening room, but it used to be a garage. The screen is the size of a wall and it has doors on the front that open and close when you hit a little button. I love it in there!
Is your sofa also supersized?
Yes! It fits at least four people and has lots of cosy pillows. But it’s the same gold colour as my English cocker spaniel [Sadie], so it’s hard to see her when she’s lying on there. I have to be careful not to sit on her when I’m watching TV.
So what shows do you like to watch on your huge screen?
I enjoy shows like Scandal and This Is Us, and I absolutely loved Big Little Lies. Could you believe the ending? Wow! I am not going to spoil it for people but I was hooked – it was fantastic!
Do you live a very extravagant lifestyle?
I live a relatively simple life. I love to stay in with my five dogs. I’ll take them for a walk in the woods and let them find dead birds, then come home, bathe them and make a meal. My idea of a good time involves an English muffin and some tea. That’s all I need. Hanging out on big boats with friends is also enjoyable, but it’s not something I do very often.
Is that a reference to the yachting holiday you took last year with Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen and the Obamas?
We have an unwritten rule about that. We always say, “What happens on the boat, stays on the boat.” For that reason I can’t tell you exactly what happened – although I will say there was a lot of swimming, paddleboarding, snorkelling and jet-skiing. There was also lots of laughter, conversations and great fun because Tom Hanks is a hoot.
Do you enjoy staying up to date on the news?
I used to watch the news on my treadmill, but it became too much for me so I’ve started to avoid it. You can end up making yourself depressed if you watch the news all the time. Now I watch enough to stay informed, but that’s it.
So we won’t see President Oprah in the future?
No. No, you will not. I don’t feel that I am qualified to take on the responsibilities of what that means, which is to run the world. Nor do I feel like I have the amount of energy that it would take to do it. I don’t feel like that is my calling.
Operah stars in A Wrinkle in Time which opens in UK cinemas on Friday 23rd March
