OPRAH Winfrey has been hospitalized due to a stomach virus, according to close friend Gayle King.

Fans were left concerned after she failed to make her scheduled appearance on CBS mornings.

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Who is Oprah Winfrey?

Born in January 1954, Oprah Gail Winfrey, 70, is a producer, talk show host, actress and philanthropist.

Often hailed as the most influential woman in the world, the actress was born into poverty in Mississippi to a teenage single mother and has spoken out about experiences of molestation and teenage pregnancy.

Oprah is best known for the wildly popular The Oprah Winfrey Show which ran between 1986 and 2011 for 25 seasons.

The success of her show led her to become the first black woman billionaire in 2003.

The talk show host’s media empire included a lifestyle magazine brand and her own TV network.

She was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1994 and was the first black woman to win the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2018, for her outstanding contributions to entertainment.

The American star has also co-authored five books including, “What I Know For Sure”.

Oprah has starred in some hit blockbuster films such as The Color Purple, The Butler and A Wrinkle in Time.

The multi-talented personality is worth an estimated $3.5billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

She reportedly earns around $315million per year.

Oprah is the richest self-made woman in America, first becoming a millionaire in 1989.

Why has Oprah been hospitalized?

The TV star was taken to hospital earlier this week with stomach flu and severe hydration.

The 70-year-old had to be put on a drip as her condition was serious.

In a statement, a spokesperson confirmed that Oprah is “recovering” following the stomach virus and had received an IV for dehydration upon her doctor’s recommendation.

“She is resting and feeling better every day,” the spokesperson assured.

It comes months after the TV veteran revealed she had lost around 20kg using weight-loss medication – similar to Ozempic.

She told People’s magazine at the time: “The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift — and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for.

“I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself.”

Despite the controversy surrounding the Ozemopic trend sweeping Hollywood, the weight loss drug was approved by the US FDA to treat Type 2 diabetes.

Who announced Oprah’s illness?

Longtime friend and CBS anchor Gayle King announced on air that Oprah wouldn’t be able to appear on the show after getting a “serious” stomach bug.

“She had some kind of stomach thing – stomach flu – stuff was coming out of both ends,” Gayle added.

“Needless to say, she ended up in the hospital, dehydrated, and had to get an IV.

“It was a very serious thing.”

However, Gayle went on to reassure fans that the TV star would recover but emphasized that she needed time to rest.

How did Oprah lose weight?

The talk show host was known to be taking weight loss medication similar to Ozempic.

These drugs are known to tackle diabetes, heart disease, stroke and possibly dementia.

Dr Julie Gralow, chief medical officer at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, said at the society’s annual conference: “People are very interested in these drugs.

“Patients are asking about them and scientists want to study them.

“There are so many potential and already proven health benefits to these drugs, that it would be icing on the cake if we saw that they were also reducing cancers.

“The data is promising and absolutely there will be more investigation.

However, the side effects of taking Ozempic can include diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting, according to the drug’s official website.