Melissa Doyle has locked down one of the biggest jobs of her career – working alongside a Hollywood A-lister.
The former Sunrise host, 55, has confirmed she will be hosting Oprah Winfrey’s long-awaited Australian tour.
“I am so excited, it is frickin’ Oprah,” she told The Daily Telegraph when the news was announced.
“The 15-year-old wannabe journo inside of me is squealing, what an honour.”
Meanwhile, Oprah said in an announcement of her own: “G’day, my Aussie friends, I am so excited to let you know I will be joined on stage by the fabulous Melissa Doyle for my Australian shows.”
Melissa will be taking to the stage at Oprah’s five “In Conversation” events, which will kick off at the ICC Sydney on December 4.
The American talk show host will then travel to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Auckland for her long-awaited shows.
There will be no subject off limits as she chats to Melissa about every aspect of her life during the five-date speaking tour.
Who else was in the running to host Oprah’s tour?
Though Melissa is overjoyed by the news, it might come as a major blow to Tracy Grimshaw.
Tracy was “desperate” to helm the tour and was at the top of a list of contenders to share the stage with Oprah, New Idea previously revealed.
“Oprah is after someone who knows her and her brand … but most importantly, she wants someone whom she can trust,” our source shared.
“Nothing is off the table, but Oprah will want someone who is looking to start healthy conversations and discussions.”
Tracy and Oprah have stayed in close contact ever since forming a strong bond during Oprah’s blockbuster 2015 trip Down Under.
Tracy said after interviewing her in 2015: “I didn’t feel like I was in a production line of people who were interviewing her that day, even though I was.”
When is Oprah Winfrey coming to Australia?
Oprah will be touching down in Australia in December 2025.
The dates are:
- December 4, 2025: ICC Theatre, Sydney, NSW.
- December 6, 2025: Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena, Adelaide, SA.
- December 8, 2025: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, QLD.
- December 11, 2025: Plenary, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, VIC.
Are there still tickets for Oprah Winfrey’s Australian tour?
It is Oprah’s first tour Down Under in 10 years, and tickets have been highly sought after.
However, there are still some tickets up for grabs via Ticketek.
Tickets started at $109 and go up to as much as $439 for premium seats, with prices varying by city and seating category.
When was the last time Oprah Winfrey came to Australia?
Oprah last visited Australia in 2015 for her An Evening with Oprah speaking tour.
“I have been saying since I left Australia that I wanted to get back,” she admitted to NewsCorp at the time.
Oprah also famously filmed episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show at the Sydney Opera House back in 2010.
Dubbed the “Oprah House” at the time, she brought 300 American fans with her to mark the milestone, and thousands of Aussies also went.
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