Oprah Winfrey tapped to join CBS as special contributor to 60 Minutes

"There is only one Oprah Winfrey," said Fager. "Her body of work is extraordinary, including thousands of interviews with people from all walks of life. She is a talented woman with a level of integrity that sets her apart and makes her a perfect fit for '60 MINUTES.' I am thrilled that she will be bringing her unique and powerful voice to our broadcast."

For 25 years, Winfrey was host of her award-winning talk show "The Oprah Winfrey Show," which was the highest-rated television program of its kind in history. She also founded her own production company, Harpo Productions. Under her leadership, Harpo developed television programs like "Dr. Phil," "The Dr. Oz Show" and "Rachael Ray," among many others, plus motion pictures under her Harpo Films banner, including the recent award-winning "Selma" in which she also had a featured role. In 1985, she co-starred in Steven Spielberg's "The Color Purple" and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress

In 2011, in partnership with Discovery Communications, Winfrey founded OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and serves as its chairman and CEO. OWN has become one of the fastest-growing cable networks for women, achieving its highest rated and most watched year in network history in 2016.

"I've been a big admirer of 60 Minutes since my days as a young reporter," said Winfrey. "I'm so excited and proud to join forces with this historic news program, which for me represents the bastion of journalistic storytelling. At a time when people are so divided, my intention is to bring relevant insight and perspective, to look at what separates us, and help facilitate real conversations between people from different backgrounds."

In 2013, Winfrey was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama, the nation's highest civilian honor.