The promotional event on the Magnificant Mile was being billed as "The Cover Girls Are In."
Talk about Oprah and Ellen posing together for a cover photo started a couple of years ago when Ellen was making a joke about trying to be on the cover of "O." She even created mock covers trying to show what it would look like if she actually made it onto the cover. So, Oprah said she called up Ellen, and after years of joking, the two finally shot the cover. Issues of the magazine were passed out to about 1,000 people Friday.
Promoters also gave out wristbands to excited fans. Some of them speaking with ABC7 received the news about the event via Twitter. Ellen and Oprah 'tweeted' at least 6 million people to let them know they were going to be on the Magnificent Mile Friday across the street from the Water Tower, and people showed up in droves.
Ellen Degeneres told people in the crowd that if they gave her one of their shoes, she would give them a signed autograph copy of the magazine.
"Was it hard to put your shoes on and take them off?" ABC7's Cheryl Burton asked one woman.
"It was easy once I saw Oprah. Once I saw Oprah, the sky's the limit, a treat I've been waiting for, for years because she stands for helping women and society," said Felicia, an Oprah fan.
"I saw Oprah's tweet on my Twitter that said 'Ellen asked me to meet her in Chicago this morning.' So, I got out of class and came over. They are two great people, and I love watching them both and to have them both right in front of me is great," said Amanda Cicciarelli.
"We came to Chicago for the weekend, and we had to see Oprah. And when we found out she was here, we ran to make it on time. Oprah's like a Chicago landmark. So, when we found out she was coming, we came down," said Rebecca Collins of New Zealand.
The magazine will not hit the news stands until weeks from now. The last time another person shared the cover with Oprah was in March, and that person was first lady Michelle Obama.
Oprah: Question of the Day
ABC7's Cheryl Burton asked Oprah if rumblings that she's going to move the show to Hollywood are true. The Queen of Talk didn't have much to say about that.
"It is the big question of the day, Cheryl, and something I have to answer soon," said Oprah.
A rep for Oprah's show denied the rumors on Thursday.
When Burton interviewed Oprah for the kick-off show's 24th season, the talk show host said she would have to make that decision by the end of 2009, which is about six weeks away. Fans will be watching anxiously for those developments.
