Oprah Winfrey doesn't do "normal" endings. When she walked off the stage of the Harpo Studios in Chicago back in 2011, she didn't just retire; she basically detonated the very idea of what a talk show host is supposed to be.
But if you’re sitting on your couch today, scrolling through your TV guide and wondering, does oprah still have a show, the answer is a little messy. It’s a "yes, but" situation. If you’re looking for that classic 4:00 PM slot where she surprises an entire audience with refrigerators or yells "You get a car!", that’s gone. It’s been gone for over a decade.
Honestly, though? She’s more present now than most people realize. She just traded the single channel for a whole universe.
The Myth of the "Missing" Oprah Show
Most people are looking for The Oprah Winfrey Show. That 25-year run was a juggernaut. It ended because Oprah felt it in her "bones" that 25 was the perfect number. She told everyone she was moving on to build OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network), and while OWN is still very much a thing in 2026, Oprah herself isn't sitting in a chair every single day interviewing people.
She’s the boss now. She’s the one greenlighting shows like Belle Collective (which just got a Season 7 renewal for February 2026) and the Detroit or Huntsville versions of Love & Marriage.
But here is where it gets interesting for fans who miss her voice. As of right now, in early 2026, Oprah has moved into what I’d call the "Event Special" phase of her career. She doesn't have a daily show, but she has a massive deal with ABC and Hulu for primetime specials. Just this past September, she hosted AI and the Future of Us, where she sat down with tech billionaires to demystify artificial intelligence for the rest of us.
It’s the same Oprah. Same "Aha!" moments. Just in a one-hour blockbuster format instead of a daily grind.
Where You Can Watch Her Right Now
If you need a fix today, you aren't out of luck. You just have to know where to click.
- The Starbucks Partnership (The New "Talk Show"): This is the coolest thing she’s doing lately. Oprah has basically turned her Book Club into a roaming podcast and video series sponsored by Starbucks. In January 2026, she was spotted in New York City taping a session with author Megha Majumdar about her novel A Guardian and a Thief. It’s a podcast, but they film it like a high-end talk show.
- OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network): She still pops up here for Super Soul specials. It’s more spiritual, more "how do I fix my life," and less "celebrity gossip."
- Apple TV+ Legacy: While her exclusive multi-year deal with Apple technically ended a few years ago, her library of The Oprah Conversation and The Me You Can’t See (with Prince Harry) is still sitting there.
- Network Specials: Keep an eye on ABC. She’s been doing deep-dive interviews there lately, like her recent sit-down with Jane Pauley on CBS News Sunday Morning to talk about her health journey.
Why She Never Went Back to Daytime
People always ask if she regrets leaving. Short answer: No.
When you’ve spent 25 years listening to every tragic and triumphant story in America, you get tired. Oprah has been vocal about the "treadmill" of daytime TV. Producing 200 episodes a year is a soul-crushing pace. By the time 2011 rolled around, she wanted to produce movies like The Color Purple (the musical version) and act in things like A Wrinkle in Time.
Plus, the landscape changed. In the 90s, everyone watched the same thing at the same time. Now? Everyone is on TikTok or Netflix. Oprah realized she could reach more people by being a "content creator" before that was even a trendy term.
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Is Oprah's Book Club Still a Show?
Sorta. It’s the closest thing we have to the original "Book Club" segments.
The 2026 iteration is very interactive. She’s been doing these "Intimate Conversations" globally. She’s actually scheduled for a massive event in New Zealand later this year—her first time back there in a decade. These aren't just book reviews; they are live, televised-style events where she interviews authors and takes questions from the audience. It’s basically The Oprah Winfrey Show on tour.
The 2026 Reality
The truth is, Oprah doesn't need a show. She owns the platform. Between her magazine (Oprah Daily), her network (OWN), and her massive social media presence, she has a direct line to millions of people without having to deal with a TV executive's schedule.
She’s also leaned heavily into philanthropy and education lately. She’s spending a lot of time with her leadership academy in South Africa and her various foundations.
Actionable Ways to Find Her Content
If you’re looking to fill the Oprah-sized hole in your life, don't just wait for a TV schedule. Do this instead:
- Follow Oprah Daily: This is where her "Favorite Things" and latest life advice live now. It’s more of a digital community than a magazine.
- Subscribe to "The Oprah Podcast": If you miss her voice, this is the best way to get it. The Starbucks-sponsored episodes are high quality and feel exactly like the old "Soul Series."
- Check the OWN Schedule: Even if she isn't on screen, her DNA is in every show on that network.
- Watch for ABC Primetime: She seems to have a "handshake deal" for about two major specials a year.
She’s still the Queen of Media. She just changed the shape of her throne.
To stay updated on her next big primetime interview or her 2026 book picks, your best bet is to sign up for the Oprah Daily newsletter. It’s the only place that reliably tracks where she’s going to pop up next before it hits the mainstream news cycle.
Whatever she does next, it probably won't be a 4:00 PM talk show. And honestly? That's probably for the best. We've all moved on, and so has she.