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I am sorry and very surprised when I read this news. Oprah Winfrey on Friday announced that she will take her iconic talk show off the air in 2011 at the end of its 25th season, prompting an outpouring of emotional tributes from devoted fans.

“I love this show. This show has been my life and I love it enough to know when it’s time to say goodbye,” Winfrey told viewers at the end of her live broadcast.

“Twenty five years feels right in my bones and it feels right in my spirit. It’s the perfect number, the exact right time.”

“The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which first aired in 1985 and is currently syndicated in 145 countries, has transformed Winfrey, 55, into a cultural phenomenon. She is credited with changing the way people talk to each other, having popularized a confessional interview style that has coaxed secrets, revelations and often tears from guests of all stripes.

She is an almost uniquely influential tastemaker, whose recommendation of a book or product has instantaneous and enormous effect.
The final show will air on September 9, 2011 — nine months after the anticipated launch of a new cable television channel Winfrey is developing with Discovery Communications.

While Winfrey did not discuss her future plans on air, fans won’t have to look far for their Oprah fix.

“After production wraps on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show,’ Winfrey plans to appear and participate in new programming for OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a 24-hour cable network that reflects her vision, values and interests,” Winfrey’s Harpo Productions said in a statement.

“The Oprah Winfrey Show” show has served as the foundation for an empire that today spans books, radio, magazines and the Internet and has launched the careers of other television celebrities, including popular US counselor Dr. Phil and chef Rachel Ray.