Oprah Looks Back at Her Best Surprises

Surprise! Oprah is looking back on some of her favorite surprises from 25 years of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah shares how when she was surprised by her idol Mary Tyler Moore it sent her into the ugly cry. The time she’ll never forget surprising Tom Cruise’s biggest fan while standing in her robe, no makeup and her hair soaking wet from the shower. More surprises include Mariah Carey’s biggest fans, the iconic car giveaway - “you get a car, you get a car” - and the moment she surprised an entire audience they were all “going to Australia!” When The Oprah Show ended in 2011 she allowed her staff to surprise her over and over again at a star-studded event at the United Center in Chicago. 00:00:00 - Oprah on loving to surprise people on The Oprah Winfrey Show 00:02:15 - Oprah was surprised by Mary Tyler Moore 00:08:14 - The Tom Cruise Surprise 00:12:49 - The Weight Loss Surprise 00:16:10 - The Will and Grace surprise 00:18:36 - The Family surprise 00:20:50 - The Mariah surprise 00:24:00 - The You Get a Car surprise 00:29:20 - The biggest fans surprise 00:33:58 - The Surprise Trip 00:39:30 - Oprah’s 25 year surprise show Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/oprah/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Oprah Winfrey?

  This episode of the Oprah Podcast is presented by our partner, AT&T.

• 0:44Oprah Winfrey?

  This is a podcast to delight you because over the past 25 years of The Oprah Show, I have to tell you, my team and I were, I think, the best. They were the best. I was just sitting in a chair. They were doing all the work. David, it's yours!

• 1:05Oprah Winfrey?

  They were the best at creating just unimaginable surprises, honestly.

• 1:13Oprah Winfrey?

  We are buying you a house! I don't know if there was a surprise left for us to pull off by the end of the show. Literally, we were actually in a meeting and one of the producers brought up taking the audience into space. True story. And I thought, okay, now it's time to bring this all to an end. I have to say, I love surprises because every time we were able to surprise someone.

• 1:39Oprah Winfrey?

  Your family is here.

• 1:41Oprah Winfrey?

  You could see in their faces what I like to call joy rising. You just see moments of such pure happiness and delight and gratitude. And I always think that a good surprise makes people feel seen and also appreciated. And my team, my gosh, just the best in television, knew that I didn't like being surprised myself.

• 2:07Oprah Winfrey?

  It's a surprise! It's a surprise! It's a surprise!

• 2:11Oprah Winfrey?

  But I wanted to share this one time when I was surprised that really meant so much to me. When I was coming up as a reporter in my twenties, I started in television when I was 19, I would watch The Mary Tyler Moore Show every week like clockwork. It came on on Saturday nights, 8 o'clock, followed by the Bob Newhart Show. And I would wash my hair and roll it in the big rollers and sit under a dryer to watch The Mary Tyler Moore Show. And I just absorbed everything about Mary. I wanted to dress like Mary. I wanted to be like Mary. I even wanted, Mary had a big M in her apartment. I even got an O

• 2:51Oprah Winfrey?

  to put in my apartment because Mary had an M. I wanted to live in that apartment in Minneapolis. I wanted to work with Mary in the WJMTV newsroom in Minneapolis. So much so, I tried to get a job in Minneapolis once and they didn't hire me. So here's what happened with me and Mary Tyler Moore on the day my producers surprised me with Mary.

• 3:19Oprah Winfrey?

  Mary Tyler Moore, one of the greatest ever. I love her. Thank you, Mary, for being such an inspiration to us all, all of us women in television. Thank you very much.

• 4:13Oprah Winfrey?

  I'm speechless.

• 4:15Speaker 02

  I may not cry over it, but you are my favorite person.

• 4:18Oprah Winfrey?

  It's Mary! It's Mary! Thank you.

• 4:20Speaker 02

  You are, truly. What you do on this show with such intelligence and grace and sensitivity, what you do for literacy, I am in awe of you and so grateful.

• 4:35Oprah Winfrey?

  Well, let me just say, you have no idea what you've meant to me.

• 4:40Speaker 02

  Yes, I think I do.

• 4:43Oprah Winfrey?

  I mean, I would just, I mean, you have, well, you understand.

• 4:47Speaker 02

  No, but I'll take it if you want to give it.

• 4:49Oprah Winfrey?

  I just want to say that, you know, there are many times in our lives when there are those of us who we only had the television.

• 4:56Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 4:56Oprah Winfrey?

  For inspiration. And you were one of those women.

• 5:00Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 5:00Oprah Winfrey?

  Who was a light. I mean, I just used to, every Saturday night while I was conditioning my hair, no dates.

• 5:07Speaker 02

  Well, you know, it's been the most gratifying thing to me, too, as time has gone on and this show has come to mean so much to people. And to hear from young women, old women, whatever that I was, our show was, an inspiration for them to go into journalism.

• 5:21Oprah Winfrey?

  Right.

• 5:22Speaker 02

  Or television work of some kind.

• 5:23Oprah Winfrey?

  I wanted to work in Minneapolis with you. Because I was in news at the time and I just, I wanted an O above my refrigerator. I wanted the M.

• 5:32Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 5:32Oprah Winfrey?

  It's just the classiness, the way you presented yourself. And y'all know Mary is here.

• 5:37Oprah Winfrey?

  That's when the phrase ugly cry came into my mind because I went into the ugly cry. I couldn't put my words together, which is, was a rare moment for me. And for hours after that, I want to say that it was because of Mary Tyler Moore owning her own production company at the end of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, there was this graphic where a little cat came through and said, meow. And that moment at the end of the show is what planted the seed in me that one day I could own my own studio. So that surprise, actually seeing her in person, really meant so much to me in so many ways. I could never forget it.

• 6:23Oprah Winfrey?

  I've always believed that one of the greatest gifts we can give another person is our full attention. To really listen, to show up and to let them know they've been heard. Genuine connection is something I believe in, and so do our partners at AT&T. It's not just attention to the words that someone is saying, but what they're really trying to tell us. Because I've said this for years, true communication is that moment when somebody knows they've been heard and seen. That's what I value in every conversation here on the Oprah Podcast. We talk, we listen, we ask the questions that can lead us to something deeper, an exchange

• 7:06Oprah Winfrey?

  of ideas that I hope resonates with you. What we do with that connection is what matters. And sometimes, that kind of connection begins with something very simple. Picking up the phone to share good news, to hear the voice of someone who's made a difference in your life, or just to say, I'm here. Because AT&T is there when the connection matters. And connecting changes everything.

• 7:38Oprah Winfrey?

  I said to my producers, never again will I be surprised on this show because I wanted to be the one surprising, deserving people who had written to me about their wildest dreams. So I then put all of my efforts into surprising other people who I thought were deserving, or people in our audience who were the most loyal viewers of the show. And it was my way of thanking them. And we want to bring a little joy rising into your day today and revisit some of my favorite surprises. Some are sweet, some are delightful, some are laugh-out-loud funny, and a few surprises just for your heart. Maybe you'll be inspired to surprise a loved one, a friend, a coworker, reminding them that they matter to you.

• 8:24Speaker 03

  It's 6:55 a.m. We're at Cherry Flytale's house.

• 8:33Speaker 03

  Prince is here with your babies. Happy Mother's Day to you!

• 8:43Speaker 03

  Hi, everybody. May I have your attention, please? On this flight, we're our Donna, Lisa, and Kathy Maeve. And these front row seats.

• 8:53Oprah Winfrey?

  Right here are reserved for the Maynard Sisters.

• 8:59Oprah Winfrey?

  Morning sailors.

• 9:03Oprah Winfrey?

  We're throwing you a boot camp graduation party. Let's head to the dining room.

• 9:10Oprah Winfrey?

  We are all getting on the plane and going to Philadelphia.

• 9:16Oprah Winfrey?

  Is Fanny Eugene there? Yeah. This is Oprah Winfrey. How are you?

• 9:25Oprah Winfrey?

  My Oprah? Yeah. This is my Oprah? Is this my Fanny? Last week we did a show called Oprah's Best Surprises. Did y'all see that? Okay. And which one lucky Tom Cruise viewer got the shock of a lifetime. This was fun for us. Look at this. You're looking at Nancy Kay's house here. A viewer who has no idea that we were standing by with a camera crew waiting to make her dream come true. Nancy wrote us this letter saying, "Dear Oprah, if you ever decide to do a show again on fulfilling dreams, I'm a big fan of Tom Cruise. We share the same birthday and I believe we are the same age. My friends think I'm wacko because because I drown in his movies. He takes my breath away. Just to shake his hand would turn my face 800 shades of red.

• 10:10Oprah Winfrey?

  I am so sorry about his breakup with Nicole, but since she's out of the picture..."

• 10:23Oprah Winfrey?

  Maybe he would take a minute out of his hectic schedule to fill a housewife and mother of three little ones' dream of meeting her hero, Nancy. That's what she wrote. Now, what Nancy doesn't know is that Mr. Tom Cruise himself will be here sitting next to me next week. So, we thought, and y'all are like, "Darn."

• 10:46Oprah Winfrey?

  "Darn, and we got the book show."

• 10:50Oprah Winfrey?

  Now, that free book ain't looking so good, is it?

• 11:03Oprah Winfrey?

  Okay. Tom Cruise, free book. Tom Cruise? Okay. So, this is what we did. We thought we'd show up at Nancy's house and give her the good news this morning that her dream is going to come true. Our camera crew's gonna knock on her door, and I was hoping she's dressed. This is, I just did this less than an hour ago, so I wasn't quite dressed yet. So, get over that shock when you see it. Okay, take a look at this.

• 11:29Oprah Winfrey?

  I'm gonna be home. Let's hope she is.

• 11:38Oprah Winfrey?

  Hi. Hi Nancy. Nancy, can you hear me? It's Oprah Winfrey.

• 11:44Speaker 04

  Oh my, oh my God.

• 11:46Oprah Winfrey?

  Hi, surprise. Nancy, I'm talking to you through the camera.

• 11:51Speaker 04

  Okay.

• 11:52Oprah Winfrey?

  So, just look in the camera. How are you?

• 11:54Speaker 04

  Fine.

• 11:55Oprah Winfrey?

  You're on TV right now.

• 11:58Speaker 04

  Oh, oh my God.

• 12:00Oprah Winfrey?

  Okay, okay. I have, I have, I have a letter here from you, Nancy, that you wrote me about Tom Cruise. Remember that?

• 12:08Speaker 04

  Oh my God, oh my God, yes.

• 12:10Oprah Winfrey?

  Okay. So, we wanted to make your dream come true because next week, Tom is gonna be cruising through here.

• 12:17Speaker 04

  No.

• 12:19Oprah Winfrey?

  And so are you.

• 12:26Oprah Winfrey?

  It's true. Yes, yes, it's true. It's true. So, when Tom comes down, we're gonna send a limousine to pick you up so that you can meet him and spend a little, spend a little time with him. This is better than the sweepstakes, I tell ya.

• 12:45Oprah Winfrey?

  Come on out Nancy. Nancy.

• 13:11Speaker 05

  Think lightning can't strike twice? Well, Oprah and her crew pulled it off again. Seven years later, they surprised Nancy once more. Needless to say, she did not disappoint.

• 13:22Oprah Winfrey?

  Nancy?

• 13:25Speaker 04

  Oh my God.

• 13:30Speaker 04

  Please do not tell me that Oprah Winfrey is inside that camera again.

• 13:38Oprah Winfrey?

  I was on the phone with Tom Cruise, and Tom says, "What about that lovely Nancy?"

• 13:44Speaker 04

  You are...

• 13:45Oprah Winfrey?

  No, and so Tom is coming back. Tom is coming back.

• 13:54Oprah Winfrey?

  Tom is coming back right here to this very studio, and he asked that I ask you to come back.

• 14:05Oprah Winfrey?

  At the age of 32 and weighing in at 525 pounds, my next guest, David Caruso, was close to death. David reclaimed his life and decided he wanted to live. On his own, no surgery, David has lost 305 pounds.

• 14:32Oprah Winfrey?

  Oh, that's amazing. So, can you even imagine this now?

• 14:38Oprah Winfrey?

  How long did it take you, 305 pounds? One year. You did it in a year? Yes. What an inspiration. Well, David, since you've never had the chance to sit in your dream car, I borrowed one from some friends of mine at Orland Park for you to try on for size. Yep, just gonna sit in it.

• 14:58Oprah Winfrey?

  There you go.

• 15:02Oprah Winfrey?

  Go have a seat. Stop, stop, stop.

• 15:09Oprah Winfrey?

  Good.

• 15:12Oprah Winfrey?

  That's good.

• 15:18Oprah Winfrey?

  Let's see if you fit in there. I believe I do. I love the white on black.

• 15:27Oprah Winfrey?

  George?

• 15:30Oprah Winfrey?

  George?

• 15:32Oprah Winfrey?

  George? George, come up here. Let's get a picture of him sitting in the Porsche so he can put that on his refrigerator. That's great. That's great. You look cute in there.

• 15:44Oprah Winfrey?

  Okay, come on out now.

• 15:47Oprah Winfrey?

  That's cute. That's cute. That's so fun. That's the best. Isn't that fun? Okay. I like it.

• 15:58Oprah Winfrey?

  Yeah, I want one too. Okay, stand right there. And take a, take a good look. It's cute, isn't it? Take a good look because, David, it's yours.

• 16:42Oprah Winfrey?

  That is a great moment.

• 16:47Oprah Winfrey?

  Oh. I am so happy for you. I love you too.

• 16:59Oprah Winfrey?

  I am so happy for you because when that car came in last night, I wanted it myself. I'm so happy for you. You so deserve it. Because what anybody who's tried to lose 5 pounds knows, to lose 305 pounds, what it takes to do that, the will that it takes to do that. You deserve it. Enjoy it.

• 17:22Oprah Winfrey?

  I'm so happy for you. The Wildest Dreams Bus is headed your way. I loved this. This was one of the greatest moments I've ever experienced. One of the greatest moments. Take a look.

• 17:36Oprah Winfrey?

  Attention grocery shoppers. Today's special is Wow, Dreams Come True.

• 17:46Oprah Winfrey?

  So I'm on my way to Valley Produce to surprise Paolo, who is here, has written me so many emails. I'm just sick of it, exhausted by his emails. So I'm gonna give him the hookup of his dream and make his day. Paolo? Paolo? Is Paolo here? He's right here. Hello, Paolo. How are ya?

• 18:12Oprah Winfrey?

  You've given me a lot of emails. You can stop writing me emails now, okay? Because you have a big dream, to become an actor, right? So pack your bags, because you're going to NBC Studios in Burbank. I have gotten you a walk-on speaking role in Will and Grace.

• 18:50Oprah Winfrey?

  He didn't win an Academy Award or an Emmy. He just has a walk-on speaking role.

• 19:01Oprah Winfrey?

  Okay, you're gonna come with me. Can he have some time off? He needs some time off. We're taking him to Hollywood, okay? He's going to Hollywood to be on the Will and Grace show. It's one of our favorite shows.

• 19:16Oprah Winfrey?

  Bravo, Paolo.

• 19:19Oprah Winfrey?

  You made me proud. You made me proud. That is so great, great. You made me proud. Now, I love you saying you weren't nervous and then you walked in and called yourself Mark. That's great. But what happened from this experience? You gain more confidence?

• 19:33Speaker 06

  More confidence, big time. With so many things I've been dealing with in life, it, I can, since last Thursday, I can walk with my head up. I'm, I love myself. I'm the type of person that likes to take care of my family, my friends. But this has been one week that I've taken care of myself, and it feels so good.

• 19:50Oprah Winfrey?

  That is great. So Clementine, before you left Africa, did you ever find your parents?

• 19:56Speaker 05

  No, actually, I just, we just found out in 2001, since 1994, that our parents were alive, which was a miracle, which was, we searched, we tried Red Cross, we tried UNICEF, we tried everywhere. My sister and I, we moved everywhere, every day, walking around, like, searching and searching and searching.

• 20:17Oprah Winfrey?

  So when was the last time you saw them?

• 20:19Speaker 05

  Well, it was 1994, when I had no idea what was going on. So, until 2001, when we met a person who told us that they were alive. And we couldn't believe that they were still alive.

• 20:29Oprah Winfrey?

  That they had survived. And you had a, now, is it true that you have a brother and sister?

• 20:33Speaker 05

  Yes, I have two new siblings that I haven't met yet, because it's been now 12 years since we haven't seen each other. So I have two new siblings that I really don't know if I met them. Maybe I don't know them.

• 20:45Oprah Winfrey?

  Well, I have a letter from your parents. I have a letter from your parents. Clementine and Claire, come on up here. Claire is Clementine's sister. Hi.

• 20:57Oprah Winfrey?

  Nice to see you, Claire. This is from your family in Rwanda, your father and your mother and your sisters, and your brother. And I wanted you to read it. Okay? Well, you don't have to read it right now in front of all these people. You don't have to read it right now in front of all these people because your family is here. We have flown your family here.

• 21:38Oprah Winfrey?

  That's good, isn't that good?

• 21:47Oprah Winfrey?

  Hi.

• 21:50Oprah Winfrey?

  Thank you.

• 21:52Oprah Winfrey?

  Say hello. Oh, I know, I know, I know, I know. You're back.

• 22:01Oprah Winfrey?

  When these two guys stood up after the show to ask me a question, they never dreamed where it would take them. As a matter of fact, neither did we. Watch this. This was after the show. I love the audience. Take a look. Will Mariah be on this season? Yeah, actually, Mariah will be on this season. Can I come? Biggest fan, biggest fan, biggest fan. Biggest fan, biggest fan, biggest fan. Fan. Biggest fan. We know every song. We know every song. We sang Mariah the entire way here. I wanna see them see Mariah.

• 22:43Oprah Winfrey?

  I want to see him see Mariah. I'm gonna do that for you.

• 23:01Oprah Winfrey?

  We have to pay for it, we're going. No, you know, I'm gonna pay for it. You're fine.

• 23:19Oprah Winfrey?

  Just a few weeks later, Will and Marcus hopped on a plane and found themselves on the same stage as their favorite singing diva.

• 23:28Oprah Winfrey?

  Mariah, meet Will and Marcus. You know, everybody says they're your biggest fans. I think they may be your biggest fans. I'm doing a video, shooting a video on Monday, and we want you to be in it if you...

• 23:43Oprah Winfrey?

  Look at them, look at them, look at them.

• 23:47Oprah Winfrey?

  Oh, that's great. So...

• 23:52Oprah Winfrey?

  That's great, guys. Will and Marcus say that meeting their idol, Mariah, and appearing on The Oprah Show twice already changed their lives in ways they never expected. Marcus says he realized he really let himself go. Since then, he's lost 65 pounds?

• 24:06Speaker 06

  Yes, 65 pounds.

• 24:08Oprah Winfrey?

  Wow.

• 24:16Oprah Winfrey?

  Wow. Why, you didn't realize you'd put on the weight till you saw yourself on TV, is that it?

• 24:21Speaker 06

  Yeah, I mean, I guess it's really, TV's really life's mirror, because when I saw myself, I was like, is that what I really look like? So, you know, I just started eating really healthy and started doing a lot of things. I've done a couple of 5Ks. I swam in the Iowa Games last summer.

• 24:37Oprah Winfrey?

  Wow.

• 24:38Speaker 06

  And I'm now training for a triathlon, so...

• 24:42Oprah Winfrey?

  Life changing. You look great. I thought you looked great before, too. But when Will saw the tape of the show, it literally saved his life. Will, what happened? Stand up, tell us.

• 24:53Speaker 05

  I was watching the show, and because I was watching the show, I said, "Will, there is something wrong with your neck," which you can see. And I went to the doctor, and because, if you look at that, it's swollen. And the doctor said, "Will, you have cancer after a few tests." So I did chemo from January to July of 2010, but I am cancer-free now.

• 25:15Oprah Winfrey?

  Thanks for coming. Will and Marcus.

• 25:19Oprah Winfrey?

  On The Oprah Podcast, every conversation tells a story. These stories often help us see our own lives a little differently. As the official insurance partner for The Oprah Podcast, GEICO understands that life is full of moments you can plan for and plenty of them you can't. This season, when so much of life is happening on the road, a little peace of mind can make all the difference. This time of year, we're especially grateful for the people who show up when life gets a little hectic. The neighbor who shovels your driveway after the first snowfall. Thank you. Or the friend who drives you to the airport no matter the time. These are the gestures that make a busy, chilly season a little warmer. And no matter the situation,

• 26:02Oprah Winfrey?

  GEICO is proud to help keep you covered through it all. Because when you feel protected along the way, you can stay focused on what this time of year is really all about, being there for one another. And that dear listener is everything.

• 26:20Oprah Winfrey?

  So we're calling this our wildest dream season because this year on The Oprah Show, no dream is too wild, no surprise too impossible to pull off. And it can happen anywhere, at any time, to anybody, maybe even you. Okay? You just saw 11 viewers score their wildest dream. Each one of them is the proud new owner of a brand-new Pontiac G6. I thought that was cool.

• 26:48Oprah Winfrey?

  I got a little twist. I have one car left.

• 26:53Oprah Winfrey?

  I have one car left.

• 26:56Oprah Winfrey?

  Hold on, hold on.

• 26:59Oprah Winfrey?

  And someone in this audience still has the chance to go home with a brand-new, fully-loaded Pontiac G6. G6, G6. Okay. Right now, right now, everybody in the audience, now, listen to me carefully, is being given a special package, and I don't want you to open it. Do not open it. Cameras are on you, so do not open until I tell you.

• 27:24Oprah Winfrey?

  Do not open.

• 27:28Oprah Winfrey?

  Do not open until I tell you.

• 27:34Oprah Winfrey?

  Do not open. Do not open, do not shake it. Do not open. Take the box and hold it in your lap.

• 27:46Oprah Winfrey?

  Do not open. Okay. Does everybody have a box? Yes. All right. Please clear box models. Our box models specialists. Thank you so much. You all did that so well.

• 28:03Oprah Winfrey?

  Okay, now, here's the deal. Listen carefully. Inside one of these boxes is a key. Do not open it yet.

• 28:11Oprah Winfrey?

  Okay, everybody, listen up. Here is the deal. If your box has a key, you will be the last person today to get one of those cute little G6s. Okay? Who will it be?

• 28:25Oprah Winfrey?

  Are you ready? Hold on. Are you ready? JR is back in our audio booth. I want, you know, JR, this calls for a drum roll. Cue the drum roll. All right, open your boxes. Open your action flight. Two, three.

• 28:43Oprah Winfrey?

  You get a car. You get a car. You get a car. You get a car. You get a car. You get a car. You get a car. You get a car. Everybody gets a car. Everybody gets a car. Everybody gets a car. Everybody gets a car. Everybody gets a G6. Everybody gets a car.

• 29:15Oprah Winfrey?

  Everybody gets a car.

• 29:24Oprah Winfrey?

  Oh my goodness. Everybody gets a car. You get a car. You get a car. You get a car. You get a car. Everybody gets a car.

• 29:54Oprah Winfrey?

  Is that the wildest? Is that the wildest?

• 30:02Oprah Winfrey?

  Okay. Okay. Okay.

• 30:10Oprah Winfrey?

  And guess what? Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. Hold on. Everybody, your cars are waiting right outside. Your cars are waiting right outside.

• 30:33Oprah Winfrey?

  Follow me.

• 30:37Oprah Winfrey?

  Can you believe it? No. I think I'm gonna pass out. I think I'm gonna pass out.

• 30:45Oprah Winfrey?

  Someone see him.

• 30:49Oprah Winfrey?

  It's not in the parking lot. Okay.

• 30:55Oprah Winfrey?

  Thank you. I know, who can believe it? Oh, there they are. It's unbelievable. You're wonderful, you're so good.

• 31:18Oprah Winfrey?

  There you go. I know. I know, you got your car, you're holding on. It's unbelievable.

• 31:32Oprah Winfrey?

  Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. I got it, I got a new car. For the past few months, we've been looking for Oprah's ultimate viewers, and we found six women who have been friends for over 25 years. We're in front of Zachary's Diner where the word is that they get together once a week to have breakfast here. They talk about The Oprah Show, they talk about their lives, because they've been through a lot. Births, deaths, weddings, relationships. We're going in because we've got a really, really great surprise. Looking for Kathy McCarthy. Looking for Kathy McCarthy.

• 32:11Oprah Winfrey?

  Tell me if this is true, that the road trip that Oprah and I did was one of your favorites.

• 32:18Oprah Winfrey?

  You were just talking about? Yes. You ready for an ultimate surprise? Oh my god, oh no. Okay, now let's go outside. Oh my god.

• 32:27Oprah Winfrey?

  You know, Oprah and I went on the road trip in a red Chevy. So we called Chevy. Yes. And said, is there any way you could come up with a car so they could do their own road trip? So Chevy is making it possible for you all to take your own road trip from Boston to Chicago.

• 32:51Oprah Winfrey?

  Wait, I'm not done. Okay, and because it is her last season, she wanted you there for the premiere to see the kickoff show as she ends her last season. So Kathy and her friends think they're coming to our season premiere tomorrow. What they don't know is that we have rigged up a spectacular surprise. I told my team, they really have gone way beyond on this one. Our design department has really outdone themselves. Over the past few days, they have transformed our loading dock and the back half of this building into a parking garage. So that it looks so real, cars were actually trying to pull in to park there.

• 33:31Oprah Winfrey?

  Our fabulous viewers have been driving cross-country for the past two days, seeing the sights, and they've arrived in Chicago just a few minutes ago. Now, they've been told that their driver is now taking them straight to their hotel to freshen up so that they can park the car and rest up for the show tomorrow.

• 33:53Oprah Winfrey?

  What they don't know is that their driver is now pulling them straight into this building and going to drive them right here onto this set.

• 34:08Oprah Winfrey?

  That's my team. Okay, so Joe's our director. Joe, where are they now, Joe?

• 34:13Speaker 05

  They're about a half a block away, Oprah. They're coming up momentarily here.

• 34:16Oprah Winfrey?

  A half a block?

• 34:17Speaker 05

  Here they come.

• 34:18Oprah Winfrey?

  Okay, there they are, pulling in. I did not think they could pull this off, I have to tell you. When my team told me about this idea, I said, impossible. Not gonna be able to get them here, and how are they gonna think it's a garage? They've got other cars parked there to look fake. Now they're turning to come into? Unbelievable.

• 34:41Oprah Winfrey?

  Come on, ladies.

• 34:45Oprah Winfrey?

  Unbelievable. Unbelievable.

• 34:53Oprah Winfrey?

  Unbelievable.

• 35:03Oprah Winfrey?

  Come on now, unbelievable. You're here. Welcome.

• 35:14Oprah Winfrey?

  I wanna get lipstick on you. Oh my god. Welcome to the season premiere. Unbelievable.

• 35:27Oprah Winfrey?

  I didn't cry. I can't believe it. Welcome to our season premiere. Yes, we are on the air right now.

• 35:40Oprah Winfrey?

  What am I gonna wear? I know. This isn't what you were gonna wear.

• 35:48Oprah Winfrey?

  I know, you thought you were going to the hotel parking lot. Yes. But you're not there, you're here.

• 35:56Oprah Winfrey?

  You're not, so we can take showers and get dressed and clean? Yes, yes. Oh my god. I know, I know. Ladies, ladies, we're gonna let you catch your breath. We're gonna let you catch your breath. We're so glad you're here. We have six front row seats waiting for you, okay? And we will be right back.

• 36:18Oprah Winfrey?

  So here's the deal. All summer long, I was racking my brain thinking, oh, what could we do to top all those cheesesteaks? I don't know. Should we go to Philly again? I don't know.

• 36:34Oprah Winfrey?

  Or maybe we should all go to New York City. I love New York.

• 36:42Oprah Winfrey?

  I don't know. Then I got to thinking, I love New York. But then again, everybody's so busy, I know.

• 36:55Oprah Winfrey?

  Yes. And I don't really have any business in Philadelphia, or New York, or LA. Then I thought, gee, maybe I oughta think bigger.

• 37:22Oprah Winfrey?

  Because after all, this really is my 25th season.

• 37:32Oprah Winfrey?

  And this is really my last chance to do something really big.

• 37:47Oprah Winfrey?

  And if you wanna do something big, you would want to take along your ultimate view.

• 38:03Oprah Winfrey?

  So I started to think about where would I most want to go?

• 38:12Oprah Winfrey?

  Maybe I should take all of you with me to the other side of the world. We're going to Australia.

• 38:31Oprah Winfrey?

  We are going to Australia. You, you, and you are going to Australia.

• 38:45Oprah Winfrey?

  We're going to Australia.

• 39:13Oprah Winfrey?

  Yes. Yes.

• 39:28Oprah Winfrey?

  We are going to Australia. We are going to Australia.

• 39:39Oprah Winfrey?

  To the pilot.

• 39:47Oprah Winfrey?

  He's back.

• 39:53Oprah Winfrey?

  How funny is that? We're going. We're going.

• 40:00Oprah Winfrey?

  Let's say hello again to Captain Travolta.

• 40:09Oprah Winfrey?

  Maybe all of you don't know this, but John Travolta is actually a real Qantas airline pilot.

• 40:16Oprah Winfrey?

  Who's flown there many times. And we have been secretly plotting, planning this trip of a lifetime for almost a year with everyone at Tourism Australia. And they are ready to roll out the red carpet for all 300 of us.

• 40:39Oprah Winfrey?

  We made television history with that car giveaway and getting those road trip women onstage. That was incredible. That was so much fun. I remember they pulled out on that stage. They didn't know where they were. I didn't think the team could pull it off, but they did. They always, always, always, always did. And at the end of that 25-year run, the producers came to me and said, "Look, since Mary Tyler Moore, we have not been allowed to surprise you. Could you please just let us have this last show to surprise you?" So I finally let the team surprise me one last time at a spectacular farewell at Chicago's United Center. And it was surprise after surprise after surprise. I did not know one single thing

• 41:24Oprah Winfrey?

  about who was going to be on that show. And I, at one point, I was just, I was just out of my body. So before I leave you with a look back to that night, I want to thank our partners at AT&T. Go Well, everybody.

• 41:45Oprah Winfrey?

  Oh, yeah.

• 41:49Oprah Winfrey?

  Okay, let the games begin.

• 41:55Speaker 05

  Oprah Winfrey today, you are surrounded by nothing but love. Your studio just wasn't big enough to hold it all, so here we are. 25 years have come and gone so fast. And every single person here at the United Center in Chicago

• 42:19Speaker 05

  and watching all around the world just want to say thank you for what the Oprah Winfrey Show has meant in our lives.

• 42:32Speaker 05

  Oprah, another one of your ultimate viewers just flew in from New York City.

• 42:40Oprah Winfrey?

  It's no secret that millions of people are inspired by Oprah. I am one of those people.

• 42:52Oprah Winfrey?

  We love you, Oprah. We love you, Beyonce. Thank you.

• 42:57Oprah Winfrey?

  I've always thought that maybe the closest Oprah is to heaven is when she's sitting in one of her big oak trees. And I've always imagined that you're there savoring a book. In honor of 25 seasons, we are going to plant, across this country, sea to shining sea, 25,000 oak trees for Oprah.

• 43:25Speaker 05

  One, one, one. We love you, Oprah.

• 43:30Oprah Winfrey?

  The true beauty of your show is that your viewers haven't just been sitting in front of their televisions being entertained or merely informed. They have risen up to literally change the world. Oprah, we thank you. We adore you. And we are so proud to be here today. So thank you.

• 43:51Oprah Winfrey?

  Thank you, ladies. Thank you.

• 43:54Oprah Winfrey?

  Love you.

• 44:00Oprah Winfrey?

  MJ's in the hole.

• 44:02Oprah Winfrey?

  You've done wonders for me. I know you've been a fan of basketball, but I've been a fan of yours, Benny.

• 44:07Oprah Winfrey?

  MJ.

• 44:14Speaker 05

  Yes.

• 44:16Speaker 05

  My name is Jamie Foxx.

• 44:19Speaker 05

  And I love the Oprah Winfrey Show. The reason I love the Oprah Winfrey Show is because we got something special.

• 44:27Oprah Winfrey?

  Jerry Seinfeld.

• 44:33Speaker 05

  You know what we're doing here, Oprah? You've caught on by this point. We are trying to figure out, how much can one person take?

• 44:45Speaker 05

  And we're going to keep going till you go, "I can't take it anymore." You've often said that when you educate a black man, you empower families. You empower sons and daughters. And you change generations. That's exactly what you've done on your show for 25 years and what you've done for 415 men at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

• 45:10Speaker 05

  A few of those very proud men are here today because of you, to thank you and to show you that by giving them an education, you've helped light up this world.

• 45:28Oprah Winfrey?

  What in the name of Jesus?

• 45:31Speaker 05

  It really does amaze me that I get to be around a woman who changes people's lives every day. I love you for making a difference in my life.

• 45:50Speaker 05

  Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Aretha Franklin.

• 46:26Oprah Winfrey?

  Our listeners tell us that the podcast is resonating with you and is serving as a bright spot in your day. That means a lot to me. So here's the thing. I would really appreciate it if you like and subscribe to the Oprah Podcast on YouTube or wherever you podcast. It's just a quick tap of the subscribe button. And that way, you won't miss an episode in your queue. You don't have to pay anything. I know subscribe usually means you're paying something, but this time, it means you just are notified when there's something new. There are many more to come that we're excited about. So thank you for watching and listening.