At just three years old, Oprah Winfrey stood before a church congregation on her grandmother’s farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi. She didn’t fidget or hide behind an adult’s leg. Instead, she delivered a full Easter poem with confidence and flair: “Jesus rose on Easter Day, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, all the angels did proclaim.”
The crowd called her “Little Speaker.” Unlike other children who played tag or sang songs, Oprah was obsessed with talking, especially if someone would listen. That obsession, born in a poor Black Southern household, became her superpower.
Fast Facts
- Focus: Oprah’s early obsession with public speaking and storytelling
- Breakthrough: Hosted A.M. Chicago, which became The Oprah Winfrey Show
- Legacy: First Black woman billionaire, built Harpo Productions and OWN
- Still Geeky: Actively runs Oprah’s Book Club and produces impactful media in 2025
- Core Message: Storytelling is still Oprah’s superpower, scaled globally
What Did Oprah Geek Out On Growing Up?
Oprah’s childhood was full of hardship. Born in 1954 to a teenage single mother, she grew up in poverty, sometimes wearing dresses made from potato sacks. But amid this struggle, her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee, taught her to read before she turned three. Reading and public speaking became Oprah’s escape and obsession.
She devoured books and practiced recitations obsessively. While other children were playing games, Oprah stood in front of mirrors, talking to herself, interviewing imaginary guests, or mimicking preachers she admired. As a teen, she even toured churches in Nashville, performing the sermons of poet James Weldon Johnson. Her gift wasn’t just talent, it was discipline. She practiced, performed, and studied how words could move people.
“I was taught to read at an early age,” she recalled. “By the time I was three, I was reciting speeches in the church.”
(Source: The Oprah Winfrey Show archives and interviews)
This deep love for words and storytelling wasn’t a phase. It became the foundation for everything that followed.
How Did That Geek Passion Fuel Her Success?
By age 17, Oprah’s voice and poise landed her a job at WVOL, a local radio station in Nashville. Two years later, she became the youngest and first Black female news anchor at WTFV-TV. These early steps were the direct result of the speaking skills she’d honed since childhood.
Her real breakthrough came in 1984 when she took over a struggling morning show, A.M. Chicago. Her warm and emotionally open approach quickly pushed the show to the top spot, outshining even TV giants like Phil Donahue. The show was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and launched into national syndication in 1986.
Soon, 15 million people tuned in each day across 144 countries. Oprah didn’t just interview guests. She listened deeply, asked powerful questions, and turned pain into purpose. She once said, “I always understood there really was no difference between me and the audience. At the core of what really matters, we were the same.”
Her geeky love for books didn’t fade either. In 1996, she launched Oprah’s Book Club, and almost overnight, unknown titles became bestsellers. This phenomenon, dubbed “The Oprah Effect,” proved that her childhood obsession still had massive cultural power.
According to Nielsen BookScan, her book club picks have sold over 55 million copies in the United States alone.
She also expanded into acting and production. Her Oscar-nominated role in The Color Purple and her leadership in creating OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, were all rooted in her love for storytelling.
Does Oprah Still Geek Out on It Today?
Fast-forward to 2025. Oprah is 71 years old and still as passionate about storytelling as ever, but now on a global scale.
In 2024, she hosted a livestream with Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss voting rights. She also produced and starred in a TV special titled AI and the Future of Us, aired on ABC, where she explored how artificial intelligence will shape our lives. These moments show that Oprah still uses her voice to help people understand and connect with big ideas.
Her book club continues to thrive. Her 2025 pick, Culpability, dives into the ethics of AI, proving that she still geeks out over meaningful, discussion-worthy books. On her website, OprahDaily.com, she posts reflections, interviews, and reading guides that echo the same spirit of curiosity and connection that filled her childhood church speeches.
She remains deeply engaged with education through her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Since opening it in 2007, she’s mentored hundreds of young women, encouraging them to read, speak confidently, and tell their own stories.
In 2024, she made headlines again, not for a celebrity interview, but for being vulnerable about her health journey. She admitted using weight-loss medication after years of struggle, saying, “I realized I’d been blaming myself… and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control.”
This raw honesty is exactly what made her famous, and it proves she hasn’t changed.
She once told students at her school, “Your real work is to figure out where your power base is and to work on that alignment… with the real reason why you are here.”
The Takeaway
So, is Oprah still the same geek she was at three years old?
Yes, only now she has a billion-dollar microphone.
Her love for reading, speaking, and connecting with people shaped her early life, powered her rise to global fame, and still drives her today. The church recitations became radio. The imaginary interviews became television gold. The childhood curiosity became cultural leadership.
In a 2003 interview, she said, “Passion is the log that keeps the fire of purpose blazing.”
That log still burns.
FAQs
What was Oprah Winfrey’s childhood passion?
Oprah was obsessed with public speaking and storytelling from age three, often reciting Bible verses and performing in church.
How did Oprah Winfrey get her start in media?
She began working at a local radio station at 17 and became the youngest and first Black female anchor in Nashville at 19.
Is Oprah still active in 2025?
Yes, Oprah continues to host book discussions, produce shows, and speak at public events, remaining deeply involved in media and storytelling.
What is Oprah’s Book Club pick for 2025?
Her 2025 book club pick is “Culpability,” a novel exploring ethical questions surrounding artificial intelligence.
Has Oprah changed since becoming famous?
While her platforms have evolved, Oprah’s passion for storytelling and connecting with others remains just as strong as it was in childhood.