Story Published:
Nov 20, 2009 at 3:13 PM PDT
Story Updated:
Nov 21, 2009 at 12:44 PM PDT
CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Oprah Winfrey told viewers Friday that she plans to end her long-running show in 2011.
"You, the viewers, have enriched my life beyond measure," she said. "You have graciously invited me into your kitchens, living rooms and lives.
"Some of you have literally grown up with me; we've grown up together.'
"The Oprah Winfrey Show" will end on September 9, 2011, as its 25th season draws to a close, according to a letter from Harpo Inc. President Tim Bennett.
Winfrey said she made her decision after prayer and careful thought.
"I love this show, this show is my life, and I love it enough to know when it's time to say goodbye," she said. "It's the perfect number, the exact right time."
The show has been the highest-rated talk show for 23 consecutive seasons, according to the Oprah.com. It is seen by an estimated 42 million viewers a week in the United States and is broadcast to 145 countries.
The talk show host confirmed plans to end her show in a national broadcast on Friday morning.
"The countdown to the end of the Oprah Winfrey show starts now," she said.
"Whether you've been there in the beginning or just started last week. I hold it dear," she said. "Your trust in me, the sharing of your precious time, has brought me the greatest joy that I have ever known."
Winfrey plans to forge ahead with plans for a cable network to be called OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.
It will be "a multi-platform media company designed to entertain, inform and inspire people to live their best lives," according to Oprah.com. OWN is to make its cable premier in January 2011, according to a senior executive with the cable channel.
