Six Celebs Who Could Replace Oprah

By Mike Hess Posted Nov 19th 2009 09:30PM

With word that Oprah Winfrey will be taking her ridiculously popular daytime talk show elsewhere (see story here), there's a massive void in the broadcast television world to be filled. Winfrey was always the one to score huge exclusive interviews, landing everyone from Sarah Palin to Tom Cruise to Mackenzie Phillips. So, assuming television execs will want to keep the daytime landscape as similar as possible, who could possibly fill Oprah's shoes? PopEater has a few ideas of who might be up for the job, and why they would or wouldn't work. After the jump, our reasoning as to why these six candidates would or wouldn't work.

Who: Ellen DeGeneres
Since taking the plunge into daytime talk TV in 2003, DeGeneres has had nothing but success. She's racked up more Emmys than a normal trophy wall can hold, and stars are more than happy to go out of their way to appear on her show. And, perhaps more foreshadowing than initially thought, DeGeneres recently talked her way onto the cover of Winfrey's O Magazine ... coincidence or a symbolic passing of the torch? We'll see.

Is She a Good Fit?: Absolutely
DeGeneres has the confidence and ability to make everyone sitting in the guest chair feel right at home. As long as she can tone down the silliness when the interview necessitates such actions (see: Charla Nash, Lisa Niemi), DeGeneres could make the easiest transition into the Oprah slot.

Who: Sarah Palin
Once Sarah Palin's bid to become vice president didn't pan out, rumors swirled that her newfound fame and popularity might take her to the talk show circuit. Well, she was just on 'Oprah' to promote her new book 'Going Rogue,' and as long as she doesn't have another presidential run in her forecast, the timing could very well be right for Sarah.

Is She a Good Fit?: Not Really
Palin is entertaining and certainly has gripped the nation with her meteoric rise to fame, but given her polarizing personality and political views, we doubt ABC or other networks would want to risk alienating a massive portion of the population thanks to her history. Plus, how many times can an audience tolerate a "You betcha" response when a guest asks a question in return?

Who: Ryan Seacrest
Who ever would have thought that the frosty-haired 'American Idol' co-host (anyone remember Brian Dunkleman?) would slowly become the hardest working man in showbiz, racking up radio shows, New Years Eve broadcasts and more. Seacrest, like Ellen, has a rapport with celebs that few other interviewers do, and he's not afraid to ask a tough question here and there.

Is He a Good Fit?: Not Really
Seacrest could certainly do a great job as the A-list interviewer, but personality-wise, he's a bit cold for daytime talk TV. We just don't see Midwest housewives cuddling up on the couch to watch Ryan talk on-set romances with Katherine Heigl or interview chimp victim Charla Nash.

Who: Whoopi Goldberg
If history has showed us anything, it's that there's only so much time that one can tolerate on 'The View.' The show's revolving door of co-hosts and moderators has spanned everyone from Rosie O'Donnell to current 'Today' host Meredith Vieira. We're thinking there's a good chance that Whoopi could use Oprah's departure as a launching pad for her to ditch Joy, Elisabeth and the rest of the always infighting 'View' crew.

Is She a Good Fit?: Indeed
Whoopi's calm demeanor and ability to wrangle everyone on the set of 'The View' is a skill set that few could possibly possess, and she's nailed it with honors. She's smart, concise and seasoned enough to be able to handle all kinds of interviews while also having the comedic punch to supplement the lighter parts of a daytime show.

Who: Rachael Ray
Perhaps the likeliest of all candidates on this list, Ray is a protege of Winfrey, as Oprah got the Food Network star her own daytime gig and took her under her wing.

Is She a Good Fit?: Nope
Rachael needs the food outlet of her show to keep things moving along, and unless they plan on blending serious interview with Mackenzie Phillips about incest with how to make pot pie out of Thanksgiving leftovers, we just don't see this happening. Also, could you imagine the foodie community's fervor should she make a leap like that?

Who: Paula Abdul
There's no more 'American Idol' in Paula Abdul's future, so why not give her a crack at daytime TV? She's famous, has a history of success, and may have picked up some pointers from fellow candidate Ryan Seacrest ... actually, on second thought ...

Is She a Good Fit?: Not at All
While there would certainly be a good chunk of people tuning in to see which Paula shows up each day -- the charming and funny one, or the erratic and wobbly one -- just because Miss Abdul is unemployed doesn't mean she's Oprah-worthy.

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Tags: elisabeth hasselbeck, ElisabethHasselbeck, ellen degeneres, ellen degeneres show, EllenDegeneres, EllenDegeneresShow, oprah winfrey, OprahWinfrey, OprahWinfreyShow, rachael ray, RachaelRay, ryan seacrest, RyanSeacrest, Sarah Palin, SarahPalin, the view, TheView, whoopi goldberg, WhoopiGoldberg

Comments

(107)

Friday 20 November

By Kurt

Vote down Vote up Report this

give the job to lindsey lohan...or kate gosslin

By RicBrown

Palin is polarizing, but not Whoopi?? Give me a break!! I find liberal idiot Whoopi as polarizing as anyone can be. Your liberal bias shows!!!

By CJ

Ellen and Whoopi? Not likely to be either one!

By Available

I don't think that Oprah could or should be replaced.
However, if that slot must be filled....PLEASE let it be someone outside of the group listed.
I think that interest would only be generated by a new and fresh (doesn't have to be young, think Diane Sawyer) not expected replacement.

Oh, and change the name ; )

By Saints Suffering Fan

Forget about all of the rest...put a real person out there....William Cosby, Ph.D.

I can't think of anyone who would balk at him having a daytime show of his own. He's been the funniest man on earth since the 60's...and well respected.

By the man

The premise that Palin is not intelligent is a joke, and is someone who really has their thought process in the hands of others , what I find telling is that ellen is not political or controversial at all THAT IS A STRETCH TO SAY THAT. I like Ellen ,but to the mind numb robots who are taking the bait on attacking Palin ONCE AGAIN . HER NAME IS HERE BECAUSE THE AUTHOR OF THE ARTICLE PUT HER THERE. NO ONE CAN BE A REPLACEMENT FOR OPRAH, SHE IS OPRAH AND YOU HAVE TO GET OVER THAT ,WE JUST CANT CLONE PEOPLE ,WE ARE ALL UNIQUE AND INTELLIGENT IN OUR OWN RIGHT. EVEN THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR OPINIONS WRITTEN FOR THEM FROM NETWORK NEWS ACHORS.

By mike

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

I vote for Captain Kangaroo , he would be about the same caliper as Oprah . NAH , Captain Kangaroo wasnt a fat racist pig.
Thanks Oprah for leaving , too bad it wasnt sooner.

By Nicole

Umm.... what about Tyra Banks?

I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere that Oprah loves Tyra and had even funded her show to keep her on the air.

Plus, Tyra thinks she's the next Oprah anyway.

By Shawn from Brooklyn

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Hello, Tyra Banks is first in line!!!!!!!

By cflotsofluck

I don't really think anyone can REPLACE Oprah!! But if I was to pick any of them, I would pick WHOOPI !! I've never even HEARD of Sarah Palin!! And I really can't stand Ryan Seacrest!! Ellen?? She needs to take a seat at the BACK of the bus!! YUCK!! Whoopi is the best overall choice in my book!! She's well liked, she's funny, she's repected, and last but not least, she's EARNED her spot at the top of the ladder!!

By rodlang

If you want ratings, then Palin is the answer. She has a very loyal following and the people that hate her would watch just so they can yell (threw the TV) at her. If you want someone less controversial, then Rachael Ray.

By ann

I suppose the next person should be black. Race is a huge issue in all matters.

By PEPPA

O IS ONE OF A KIND
SHE'S IRREPLACEABLE
SHE'S UNIQUE
AND ABOVE ALL >>> SHE SUCKS

GOODBYE TO THAT RACIST.

WHAT WILL ALL HER MORONIC SHEEP DO NOW ????
BAaaaa BAaaaaaa

WHO KNOWS ? > NOW THAT THE BIG O WILL TAKE HER FINGER OUT OF HER LITTLE SHEEP' NOSES, PERHAPS THEY WILL LEARN TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES ???? >> PROBABLY NOT !!
NOT A CHANCE OF THAT HAPPENING ANYTIME SOON.
NAH !! UH-UH

Saturday 21 November

By lynn

To be honest a lot of us are fed up with Oprah and would love to see her pig slaughtered on air. She has never been in a "REAL" relationship. never raised children and was a willing sex partner with a cousin then they aborted the baby illegally at home . she lied about retirement 3 times before. Can't trust her and she is of low moral character. Then she promotes Obama just because he is black, Regardless of his shifty character. It would be karma if something really bad happened to this poor excuse for a human being.

By emma

Please put back someone from the good old days like Phil Donohue or yes, Dr. Oz, anytime. It is hard to see his show since out office building does not have cable. People need to know more about staying healthy and well.

By Teri

I'd much rather see Robin Roberts of Good Morning America replace Oprah.

By Todd

Do we call her a QUITTER now?

By Malik

Think real hard. Sarah Palin taking over the Oprah show, with the Right wing thinking. It would last 6 months and get cancelled. Ellen, Whoopi, or Tyra Banks if you want to stay on the air.

By Donnalee

Didn't she say she was stepping down before? She said she ran out of topics. She then stayed on and Phil and Racheal came aboard. Maybe this is just another hoax.

By Summer

Need someone like TYRA BANKS, she of all people is not prejudiced. She always tries to find a way to bring races together. Tyra is brilliant. Ellen is too gay oriented. Whoopi does not have the draw appeal, sorry, even if she speaks well. Rachel Ray tries to be cute like a teen, but stop it already. Seacrest is a dumbazz boy. Get him out of here. Sarah Palin is extremely well liked and well spoken; she has no problem calling it what it is. Men generally HATE smart women, and Palin has a brillian future. Democrats attack Palin because they are afraid of her.

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