It was lights, camera, Oprah on Wednesday night, as An Evening with Oprah kicked off in spectacular fashion, for her legions of Kiwi fans and admirers.
A clearly pleased Winfrey began the night showcasing her newly acquired "prized possession" - a signed All Blacks jersey.
The AB strip was presented to her earlier in the evening at a VIP Q&A by World Cup-winning coach Steve Hansen
"I think it's so precious they all signed it for me," Winfrey told the sell-out crowd at Auckland's Vector Arena.
She also made a special shout-out: "Tonight we're able to welcome the wife of the Prime Minister, Bronagh Key is here. Kia ora, Kia ora."
The Maori welcome at Orakei Marae that she received on Tuesday also rated a special mention from the Queen of talk show TV.
"Can I just say, I didn't know I had that many ngati-whatua family. And at the end I got to hongi, is that how you say it? I just want to hongi all the time," Winfrey joked
"I can't believe you're all here, you know I don't sing or dance, Taylor [Swift] has already been here, done that," she said.
Winfrey then urged all of the Kiwi men in the audience to stand up, applauding the "most men ever present" at any Oprah event. The crowd have enjoyed an event boasting all the bright lights, special effects and the Hollywood sheen of her long-running television show.
Winfrey's DJ had warmed the crowd up with The Pointer Sisters' 'Jump (For My Love)', followed by a steady medley of mid 1980's chart-toppers including 'I'm Every Woman' and in a nod to local tastes sprinkled in some classic Kiwi anthems such as 'How Bizarre' and 'Poi E' - delighting the predominantly female crowd.
Fans were urged to pull out their flashlights and sing along to 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough', as Winfrey prepared to take to the stage - "My name is Oprah Winfrey" boomed out of the speakers.
From her spiritual beginnings to her big break as a local broadcast news anchor in Baltimore, US, Winfrey began her one-woman show at the very beginning - her conception.
The media mogul made no secret of her desire to succeed from a young age.
I would drive past white people's houses, with their trees and their cars in the driveway, I would think, 'now, they're rich'," she said.
"They called me illegitimate, they called me a bastard child - but I knew I had my place. We all have a place," she said.
"My grandmother would say, 'Oprah Gail, this will be you one day, washing laundry,' and for the first time in my life I heard my inner-voice, and it said 'no, no grandma, I'm not going to be washing no white people's sheets.'"
As Kiwi fans listened intently, Winfrey left no stone unturned. From race to religion, politics to pop culture, her moral compass and run list of famous friends, Winfrey's showmanship held the spotlight with a steady hand.
"The difference between me and many of the people I've interviewed, is that I actually listen to my inner voice," Winfrey said.
"I decided there and then, it was a breakthrough moment. I hated news, I hated being a broadcast news anchor," she said.
My soul, my personality was not aligned with my job.
"I decided there and then, I wanted to be an authentic version of myself instead of a pretend version of Barbara Walters. I was walking like Barbara, talking like Barbara, sticking out my chin like Barbara.
"It's always better to be yourself than a pretend version of anyone else."
Earlier queues had stretched through the streets around the Vector arena as eager fans gathered early for an audience with Winfrey.
Some came for the inspiration, many out of admiration for the media queen and for the occasional ticket holder - the prospect of a free car.
For Auckland woman Wendy Cox-Ropata, the idea of watching a "woman as inspirational as Oprah" in the flesh was simply too good to miss.
"I grew up watching her show and reading her books, she's incredible. With Oprah, you never know what to expect. My friend flew up from Wellington especially for the show. As a woman, she's just so inspirational" she said.
Benjy Swann said he had followed Winfrey for years and he too was there because she was so inspirational.
"I'm here to see her live because I'm crazy about that."
For 75-year-old Ben Brown, who flew up from Palmerston North especially for the one-off Auckland show, the chance to see Oprah Winfrey live had always been on his bucket list.
"I've watched the show for years, myself and my wife, always have," he said.
Auckland woman Roz Cattell and teenage daughter Rebekah, admitted getting their hands on tickets to watch the TV queen in action certainly had not come cheap.
"They were about $400 each, but she's just incredible, we grew up watching her," she said.
"I'm here because mum brought me a ticket," joked Rebekah.
Her presence also attracted those eager to grab the attention of the famously charitable Winfrey in the hope of persuading her to help them. They included Grant Lategan who held signs up pleading for her help to be reunited with his son.
Earlier in the day at the VIP Q&A function, Winfrey spoke about what makes her happy, her perfect day 'out with the dogs', some fave interviews and words she would have given to her 15-year-old self: "Hang in there."
It was then that she received the All Blacks jersey from Steve Hansen and posed for a quick pic with Bronagh Key.
She also wrote a message of support for a dying woman onto the shirt of the MC of the Q&A event, Hamish McLachlan, an Australian Channel 7 media personality - he had told her a friend's wife was dying from MND.
Winfrey arrived in New Zealand on Monday ahead of her exclusive live show.
She was later spotted taking a power walk up Auckland's Mt Eden with a group of security and other attendants on Monday afternoon. But her only other, official, event until Wednesday night was a powhiri at Orakei Marae.
Winfrey, 61, says of her new role on the international speaking circuit that "it feels like I've come to a place where I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing".
"I've always known that speaking, for me, is its own gift and I've been given an opportunity to rise to my best self by sharing what I know and that's what this is, that's what this tour is - how do we rise together."