Las Vegas Weekly

December 9, 2008 · 1:33 PM

Oprah admits she nearly canceled Cher and Tina interviews because of her weight gain

By Robin Leach

Cher is out of action for the rest of 2008.

Photo: James Glader

Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has revealed yet another battle with her weight -- and she says the lowest point as she ballooned up to 200 pounds was here in Las Vegas for a weeklong taping of shows at Caesars Palace.

She admits in the upcoming January edition of her O magazine that she “felt like a fat cow” and wanted to cancel the exclusive interviews with Cher and Tina Turner. Click HERE for our coverage of the diva fest.

Oprah has always been frank and open about her weight battle. She says she’s mad that she has let herself go again.

“I’m embarrassed. I can’t believe that after all these years, all the things I know how to do, I’m still talking about my weight. I look at my thinner self and think ‘how did I let this happen again?’ Two years ago, I was down to 160 pounds, and now I’m back up to 200. I fell off the wagon. I started eating whatever I wanted -- and that’s never good.”

The 54-year-old TV titan admits that she once got up as high as 237 pounds -- and she plans to address her yo-yo weight problem on the Jan. 5 episode of her show to kick off “Best Life Week.” Oprah says she’s determined to get fit again, although not necessarily thin.

“I definitely wasn’t setting an example,” she wrote in her article.” I was talking the talk, but I wasn’t walking the walk. That was very disappointing to me.”

The weight gain also has forced her to buy a new gown for when she attends President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration next month in Washington, D.C., where she also will tape a week of shows.

“I’m not sure the one I designed on my vision board a year ago will fit any longer,” she said.

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