Winfrey Chicago Show
Fans react to the camera as they wait for the taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show Tuesday, May 17, 2011, at the United Center in Chicago. "The Oprah Wi...
Fans react to the camera as they wait for the taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show Tuesday, May 17, 2011, at the United Center in Chicago. "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is ending its run May 25, 2011, after 25 years, and millions of her fans around the globe are waiting to see how she will close out a show that spawned a media empire. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Winfrey Chicago Show
Clint Asaph shows off his painting of Oprah Winfrey as fans wait for the taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show Tuesday, May 17, 2011, at the United Cente...
Clint Asaph shows off his painting of Oprah Winfrey as fans wait for the taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show Tuesday, May 17, 2011, at the United Center in Chicago. "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is ending its run May 25, 2011, after 25 years, and millions of her fans around the globe are waiting to see how she will close out a show that spawned a media empire. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Winfrey Chicago Show
Ella Acker from Forest Park, Ill., left, Rita Young from Summit, Ill., and Valeria Freeman from Chicago show off their tickets to The Oprah Winfrey S...
Ella Acker from Forest Park, Ill., left, Rita Young from Summit, Ill., and Valeria Freeman from Chicago show off their tickets to The Oprah Winfrey Show Tuesday, May 17, 2011, outside of the United Center in Chicago. "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is ending its run May 25, 2011, after 25 years, and millions of her fans around the globe are waiting to see how she will close out a show that spawned a media empire. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Oprah Winfrey Final Season
Showing "Oprah" painted on her head, Victoria King from Chicago waits for the taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show Tuesday, May 17, 2011, at the United ...
Showing "Oprah" painted on her head, Victoria King from Chicago waits for the taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show Tuesday, May 17, 2011, at the United Center in Chicago. "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is ending its run May 25, 2011, after 25 years, and millions of her fans around the globe are waiting to see how she will close out a show that spawned a media empire. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Oprah Winfrey has received a standing ovation from thousands of her fans packed in Chicago's United Center for a farewell double-taping of her TV talk show promised to showcase Hollywood's most famous celebrities.
Tom Hanks joined Winfrey on stage. He told her that her fans just wanted to say thank you "for what `The Oprah Winfrey Show' has meant in our lives." Winfrey announced in November 2009 that she would end her show this season after 25 years.
The stadium was decorated with pictures of Winfrey at seminal moments over the course of the talk show. Boxes of tissues were on scattered seats throughout the audience. The guest lineup for "Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular" is a secret, but Winfrey's producers have promised the biggest names in music, movies and television.
