Oprah will hand over to Gayle in 2011

OMG I wonder what Gayle is doing right to keep her name in the Queen of Talk Oprah's great books?

I mean she is the only person or friend in that woman's life that seems to having staying power, now she has even scored herself a deal to play her when she retires from her talk show. I wish I could have a friend like that someday. She really defines the term "FRIENDS can last forever".

READ THIS:

Oprah has an impressive track record launching new shows - she was largely responsible for making stars out of Dr. Phil McGraw and Rachael Ray - but none of the present hosts have struck Oprah as the right choice to succeed her. So the mantle fell to the 54-year-old King.

Trust and loyalty are important to Oprah, and Gayle has enjoyed a 30-year friendship with the queen of the airwaves. The pair met when both worked at a Baltimore, MD TV station in the 1970s.

Gayle already has a myriad of duties within the Oprah empire….

Oprah has been very generous with Gayle through the years. Just last year, the 55-year-old superstar plunked down $7.5 million to buy a stunning penthouse apartment in Manhattan that Gayle uses as she wishes. But what her pal has really been pining for is to become Oprah’s successor on daytime TV.

Disclosed a friend: “It initially bruised Gayle’s pride that Oprah didn’t seriously consider her before…

“She would tell Oprah that she always has her back. She said McGraw and Ray used her clout to get where they wanted to go, but they never had any real loyalty to her.”…

Oprah still waffles on whether she’ll give up doing talk for good when her contract runs out in 2011 - but it’s clear to insiders she’ll give Gayle her own day in the sun at some point.