Oprah's £2.4m present
Oprah Winfrey handed out a lesson in PR yesterday - by lavishing £2.4million worth of seasonal goodies on her audience of teachers. The 300 teachers, watching Oprah's Favorite Things in the Chicago studio, screamed and cried as she handed out gifts such as TVs, dishwashers and computers.
The daytime TV star dedicated the show to teachers everywhere.
She told her audience: 'You give and give and that is why I wanted to give you the hottest ticket in television.' Mary Rowe, a Hawaii teacher, lost her voice because she was shrieking so much. 'I still can't believe it,' said Laura Robinson, of Tampa, Florida. Spending per person was £8,000 compared with £2,500 in the same giveaway show a year ago.
For the teachers, it was a genuine surprise. They were told they would be discussing educational issues.
