Oprah Winfrey Comes Clean About One of Her Biggest Career "Mistakes"

Oprah Winfrey is reflecting on her long career and pointing to a specific moment she considers a major misstep. During a recent guest appearance on Keke Palmer’s podcast, the conversation turned toward the late 1990s theme song for The Oprah Winfrey Show titled Run On.

While discussing the track, Winfrey did not hold back about her assessment of the musical choice. She told Palmer that the decision to use the spiritual as a show theme was a clear mistake. Despite Palmer insisting the song was iconic, Winfrey maintained her position, joking about her own vocal abilities at the time. She explained that she had even taken singing lessons, yet the result remained subpar.

Winfrey provided context for why the song appeared in the first place. She noted that she was debating whether to end the show during that period. After what she described as a personal internal moment, she decided to continue production and selected the song. She believed adding a choir would make the track work, but she now views the final product as a failure.

Beyond her musical history, Winfrey also addressed another notable moment from her career during a separate interview. She clarified her viral hand motion and line of questioning during her 2021 interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. She explained that her phrasing was intended to ensure clarity regarding whether Markle was silenced, as she wanted to prevent any future misunderstanding of the guest's experiences.