Is Oprah Winfrey Helping or Using Sarah Ferguson?

By Rob Shuter Posted Jun 14th 2011 08:12PM

In May of last year, Sarah Ferguson was once again embroiled in scandal when she was caught attempting to sell access to her ex-husband, Prince Andrew. Brought to her knees financially, Fergie reached out to Oprah Winfrey. After promising the Queen of TV she would not do 'Dancing With the Stars' (and a cooking show in Australia), the cash-strapped Duchess of York agreed to do her own show, 'Finding Sarah,' on Oprah's fledgling network, OWN.

"It is one thing for Oprah to offer up Dr. Phil and Suzie Orman to help the Duchess, it's another to convince her to document the entire journey on camera," a friend of Sarah's tells me. "You have to wonder who is helping who in this situation. Is Oprah trying to help her network get viewers by exploiting Sarah or is she genuinely trying to get the Duchess help?"

The show, which premiered Sunday, follows Sarah on a six-episode docu-series offering a glimpse into her struggles to find herself, including a painful look at her past and harsh advice with Dr. Phil and Suzie Orman.

"Oprah could have offered all of this in private," one TV insider tells me. "Is it really going to help Sarah having her entire past dug up again so publicly? No way."

Plus, as people who have seen Sarah since she finished the process, she seems more vulnerable and insecure then ever before.

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Tags: Finding Sarah, Oprah Winfrey, Sarah Ferguson

Comments

(82)

Wednesday 15 June

By Sara

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I believe Ophra is using Sarah as she uses everyone for her own personal gain.

I agree with others here. Thought when she had her last 3 days of self gratification that she would be gone. But she still needs attention to fill her needy spot.

I for one am tired of turning on the TV to here her loud mouth and see her face.

Please Ophra take a vacation for a very long long time or at least give us one from you.

By hank

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who is kidding who? Oprah 'using" Sarah? Oprah is the smartest thing around and is giving this never was some chance to make a few bucks on her fifteen minutes recollections. Sarah is simply a money grubbing wh-re who is willing to turn any trick for cash. They are both using each other to make tons of money via the media freaks in trailer camps who waste their time being concerned

By what the...

Oprah the smartest thing around? You need to get out more! Go Sarah! Make all the money you can! Hank...I'm sure if Oprah came to you...you would be her money grubbing wh-re too!

By Parissa

You know, I've wondered about this myself! I, personally, do not see what 'help' Sarah will receive by airing her current & past issues on national television. If Oprah is such a 'good friend,' then why didn't she offer the services of Dr. Phill and Suze Orman to Sarah ~ no strings attached. Friends help friends ... they don't exploit! Shame on Oprah!

By psychfun

Why is everyone so concerned with Fergie but no one else on the show for the past 25 yrs or on Dr. Phil etc. It would be the just as true for them then also. What about Wynonna, Shania etc. What is sooo special about Fergie & why can't it be it helps Fergie but the show she offers to help others just like anyone else on these shows do? Geez, how hard is it to figure that out!

By georgessc

Oprah uses everybody !!

By TLW

I also don't think Oprah did Shania Twain any favors with that show on her network. Instead of "Why Not?" it should have been, "Whine NOT!". And I love Shania, too. Honestly, what are these women thinking?? Can NO ONE say "no" to Oprah? Is it a law that you aren't allowed to think for yourself if Oprah suggests you do something?

By amber

saw part of the interview...it is obvious oprah was licking her chops having sarah on, and frankly sarah keeps stepping from one cow patty to the next, to the point she now looks pathetic, and she wonders why no one cares. the thing holding her together has to be the children, whose dad loves enough to give them as much of a stable life as he is able.

By ROSIE

i get so tired of this bull pucky sarah ferguson has made her mess let her cleanit up- a looser usually stays that way

By patty

I think this question can be simply answered by asking if this was not former royal, Sarah Ferguson and just some individual off the streets who pulled these criminal stunts, would Oprah be doing a series on them on her network, while calling them FRIEND? I think not!! She herself said she rarely makes friends with anyone one appearing on her show. No doubt because she feel much superior to them.

By gettersone

of course Oprah is using her, she wanted to quit her daytime talk show to start her own network!!! she wants to try to lure people in with the whole fergie reality show...It aint gonna work. not even Dr. phil good can help her..........ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!

By Patrick

This is a no brainer. Who hasn't Ooprah used.

By tina

Oprah used everyone

By Jane

I like Sarah Ferguson and I watched the first installment of the show about her. I thought it was one of the most boring things I have ever seen. Good subject matter, poor writing and producing. I won't be watching any of the other installments. I wish this channel had been left alone because, to me, the medical channel was much more interesting than anything I have seen on OWN.

By lisama

The word is loser. That's when you fail. Looser means that something isn't tight.

Sunday 19 June

By jeannette

OWN IS BLOCK ON MY TV. SHE GAVE US PRESIDENT BARRACK H. OBAMA THE WORST PRESIDENT. WELL I AM HELPING HER BY NOT WATCHING OWN. SO IF HER NETWORK FAILS WELL THEN SHE'LL KNOW WITH THE AVERAGE AMERICAN OUT OF WORK FEELS. OH I WONDER IF SHE IS SHARING HER BILLIONS. ACCORDING TO HER FRIEND OBAMA SHE CAN AFFORD TO SHARE SOME OF PIE WITH THE AMERICANS.

Thursday 16 June

By Lara

I agree with the person who expressed the sentiment "How can we miss you Oprah, when you won't go away?".

That said, this is not a true therapeutic process for Fergie, and I'm sure she knew that going in. It is just another 'reality' show.

By The Avon Lady

They are using easch other... It's just business... That's all...

By fobesq

Dr. Phil is a quack. Oprah thinks he's all it. I thought he was rude to Sarah. Yes, she is vulnerable, but I like her.
I did get the feeling of exploitation of Oprah's part. Even when Oprah announced this on her show, Oprah seemed predatorial and Fergie seemed like the prey.

By Angie

Everyone deserves a chance. I happen to like Fergie. She's made some mistakes and has admitted to those mistakes. She deserves forgiveness. Who are we to continually judge her, or anyone that's trying to help her? There are many people that's lost thier sense of self for many different reasons and have done worse things than her, that's not to say that what she did was not wrong, it was. Many people don't know how to go about trying to find who they really are. I give Fergie alot of credit in starting out on her journey to discovering who she is and what direction she would like her life to go in. My hope is that one day the Queen Mother would find it in her heart to forgive her and allow her to be a part of thier family again for the sake of her children and the queens grandchildren.

Good Luck on your journey Fergie.

:-)Me

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