(Photo: Reuters / John Gress)Oprah Winfrey gestures during the taping of "Oprah's Surprise Spectacular" in Chicago May 17, 2011. Winfrey kicked off one of her last-ever national talk shows on Tuesday with hugs from Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise and Madonna in a packed Chicago arena.
Oprah Winfrey surprised Houstonians when she was spotted as a front row guest at The Lakewood Congregational Church for the 11 a.m. Sunday service.
Winfrey who is said to have been in town in preparation for her TV interview with Pastor Joel Osteen, was accompanied by movie mogul Tyler Perry.
Twitter was abuzz leaving fans reeling in excitement, with one of the 13,000 guests in attendance tweeting "Omgg @Oprah and @tylerperry. Are at Lakewood! That was exciting! Inspirational addition to todays message!".
Winfrey is said to have had a private lunch with Osteen and wife Victoria, and according to Lakewood church officials they discussed many topics including marriage and faith.
Winfrey's OWN network has been under recent media scrutiny following reports the network is struggling for ratings.
Despite receiving a $12 million cash boost from parent company Discovery Communications, the network's ratings are said to be declining with new shows including Rosie O’Donnell's talk show drawing in less viewers than expected.
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Earlier this year viewership is said to have fallen from an average of around 505,000 to approximately 135,000, according to The New York Times.
Discovery Communications CEO David Zaslav said, “We are working hard to develop content that will appeal to her audience...We are starting to swing in a positive direction in terms of getting people to spend more time with us.”
Winfrey's interview with Osteen is said to be a part of her new show Oprah's Life Class, expected to premiere in January 2012 on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.
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