Estimated 17.1 million watched Oprah’s Harry and Meghan interview in US

  • Video report by ITV News Correspondent Emma Murphy

Oprah Winfrey’s explosive interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex reached an estimated 17.1 million viewers in the United States.

That is according to preliminary numbers from the Nielsen company.

Winfrey guided the two as they discussed racism and dysfunction inside the royal family in a two-hour special on CBS on Sunday.

CBS gave the interview a good time slot, following the popular news magazine programme 60 Minutes.

In an era when many people are making their own TV schedules, reaching that kind of live audience is unusual now unless it is a big sporting event.

Nielsen said it had the largest audience for any prime-time entertainment special so far this television season.

In the interview, Meghan said she considered suicide, while Harry said he and his family were “trapped” in an oppressive institution.

Oprah With Meghan and Harry will be broadcast in the UK on ITV on Monday 8 March at 9pm. It will also be available on ITV Hub.