TheLoVeNa.com

As the realization sinks in that, after a quarter of a century, Oprah Winfrey will be ending her syndicated talk show Sept. 9, 2011 – a decision she intends to explain on her program Friday – rivals, admirers and industry analysts are chiming in with their reactions.

As with most things Oprah, there’s admiration mixed with a sense of awe.

Martha Stewart, attending Diddy’s 40th birthday bash at New York’s Plaza Hotel Thursday night (the news about Winfrey had broken late that afternoon), pointed out that Oprah was not retiring.

“She’ll do another show,” said the domestic diva, 68. “She’s evolving. She’s fabulous.”

Only don’t be so sure. Winfrey, 55, whose current program reaches about 7 million viewers a day, is preparing to start her own cable channel. And while it has been widely rumored that she would bring her program to OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a joint venture with Discovery Communications, on Friday’s Today show, during a news report on Winfrey’s impact on TV, it was said that there will be no Oprah show once she pulls the plug on the current program.