'60 Minutes' Lost Lance Armstrong Interview To Oprah

'60 Minutes' Loses To Oprah
FILE - This combination image made of file photos shows Lance Armstrong, left, on Oct. 7, 2012, and Oprah Winfrey, right, on March 9, 2012. Armstrong plans to admit to doping throughout his career during an upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey, USA Today reported late Friday, Jan. 11, 2013. (AP Photos/File)
FILE - This combination image made of file photos shows Lance Armstrong, left, on Oct. 7, 2012, and Oprah Winfrey, right, on March 9, 2012. Armstrong plans to admit to doping throughout his career during an upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey, USA Today reported late Friday, Jan. 11, 2013. (AP Photos/File)

"60 Minutes" went after an interview with Lance Armstrong, but lost to Oprah Winfrey.

Armstrong is widely expected to confess to using performance-enhancing drugs in an interview with Oprah on Monday. When asked to comment on the reports, Armstrong said that he "told her to go wherever she wants" and will "answer the questions directly, honestly and candidly."

"60 Minutes" pursued the interview aggressively, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "We wanted the Lance Armstrong interview badly, he chose to go with Oprah," executive producer Jeff Fager said at the TCA press tour on Saturday.

As THR noted, the show had been trying to interview Armstrong for over ten years and has done hard-hitting reporting about allegations of doping against the former cyclist. Those reports included Scott Pelley’s interview with Armstrong’s teammate Tyler Hamilton, in which Hamilton spoke out about doping by Armstrong, himself and their teammates, and a piece by "60 Minutes Sports" about Armstrong’s attempt to donate money to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which found him guilty of using banned substances.

Oprah's interview with Armstrong will air as a 90-minute special on OWN Thursday, January 17 at 9 p.m. Eastern time.

Before You Go

Oprah In Her Many Guises

Oprah

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot