Oprah Winfrey chose not to have children because she 'wouldn't have been a good mum'

Oprah Winfrey has opened up about not having children with her long-time partner Stedman Graham, saying she 'wouldn't have been a good mum'.

The 63 year old told Good Housekeeping magazine that she didn't want babies because she doesn't have the patience for them.

'When people were pressuring me to get married and have children, I knew I was not going to be a person that ever regretted not having them, because I feel like I am a mother to the world's children.'

Talking about the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, a boarding school in South Africa she founded in 2007 that houses 172 girls, the talk show host said the project makes her feel as though she has children of her own.

'For me it was perfect, because didn't want babies. I wouldn't have been a good mum for babies. I don't have the patience. I have the patience for puppies, but that's a quick stage! But this is so rewarding', she said.

'It is more rewarding than I would ever have imagined. I was doing this to help them, but it has brought a light to my life that I can't explain.

'Love knows no boundaries. It doesn't matter if a child came from your womb or if you found that person at age two, 10 or 20. If the love is real, the caring is pure and it comes from a good space, it works.'

Oprah has been with her partner for 30 years

Oprah, who previously revealed she lost a premature baby aged just 14, has been in a relationship with Stedman for 30 years.

The pair never married or had children together, although Stedman has a daughter with his ex-wife Glenda.

The star also opened up about her incredible weight loss, saying her weight had previously been her 'shield', but now she finally feels 'free'.

'[My weight] has been the go-to comfort for me. You use it as your coat and your shield, and it keeps you from doing things.

'You don't have to go to that party because you don't have a dress to wear and nothing is going to fit you. But the wonderful thing for me is that I reached a point where I no longer wanted to hide.

'Now I feel liberated! It's the thing I have been looking for my whole life. To feel a sense of freedom. The taste of freedom? There is nothing better than that!'