ABC announces Oprah-Obama Christmas special

By James Hibberd & Nellie Andreeva

The queen of daytime will interview the president of the country during an ABC holiday special that brings together Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama.

The network has announced "Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special," which includes an interview with the president, a conversation with the First Couple and tour of the White House. The special will also go behind-the-scenes as staffers prepare the White House for the holiday season.

The special marks the first time Winfrey has interviewed Obama since he took office. "Christmas at the White House" will air Sunday, Dec. 13, at 10 p.m. 

Winfrey, who has never endorsed a presidential candidate before, was a strong supporter of Obama during his presidential campaign, stumping for him in key states.

She attended Obama’s victory rally in Chicago last November and the president’s inauguration in January but has not been politically involved since the election and recently interviewed former Alaska governor and Obama rival Sarah Palin.

Winfrey also didn’t attend the high-profile first White House state dinner Tuesday night, but her close friend Gayle King did.

While she reigns in daytime with her talk show, Winfrey has rarely hosted primetime specials, most notably her 1993 interview with Michael Jackson at his estate. Oprah recently announced she will end her syndicated talk show in 2011 and focus on launching her cable network, OWN.