The world is buzzing about Oprah Winfrey's upcoming confessional interview with Lance Armstrong, and many are asking if it could help save Oprah's struggling network. INSIDE EDITION reports.
Will Oprah's big scoop with Lance Armstrong save her struggling cable network?
Oprah declared, "It's certainly the biggest interview I've ever done."
The hugely anticipated interview with Armstrong airs Thursday night on OWN and is now being called a "Jay Leno/Hugh Grant moment."
In 1995, Hugh Grant spoke for the first time on The Tonight Show about his highly-publicized arrest for soliciting a Hollywood prostitute. It was considered 'must-see TV' and helped propel Leno into first place in the 'Late Night' wars over rival David Letterman.
Oprah hopes the Lance Armstrong interview can do the same thing for the OWN cable network, which has struggled to find an audience since it debuted two years ago.
Steve Battaglio from TV Guide believes the interview, "Will have viewers tuning into the Oprah network for the very first time."
INSIDE EDITION has learned new details about how Oprah landed the Armstrong interview from her best friend, CBS This Morning's Gayle King, who appeared on The View on Wednesday.
While Gayle was vacationing with Oprah in Hawaii over Christmas, Oprah confided she had a top secret meeting with Armstrong to set up the interview.
In the interview, Armstrong reportedly said he began taking performance enhancing drugs before he was treated for testicular cancer in 1996.
The question now is whether his doping could have caused the cancer. INSIDE EDITION spoke to hormone specialist Dr. Erika Schwartz. She said, "There is no question in my mind that there is a direct connection between the testicular cancer and the use of doping."
The late night comics are having a field day with the interview. In response to the reported three hour interview, Jimmy Fallon said, "It's sort of like a regular interview, but on steroids."
Lance Armstrong is now banned from cycling for life.
