Oprah Winfrey has topped the list of celebrities to host the Oscars next year, a newspaper columnist says.

Chicago Sun Times columnist Bill Zwecker said Motion Picture Academy sources told him that the TV queen may be hosting the event, citing that the media mogul could help capture new viewers who miss their daily dose of her.

There are also talks about a behind-the-scenes special which could air on Oprah’s cable channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network.

However, a rep for the Academy sent Access Hollywood a statement in response, which reads: “Every year there’s great interest and excitement about who will host the Oscars. With that, various rumors begin to take on a life of their own. This is a wonderful example of just that, and at this point, there is nothing for us to comment on regarding who is or is not on the rumored Oscar host list.”

The 2011 Oscars, which aired on ABC, were hosted by Anne Hathaway and James Franco.

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