After a year in which she angered Republicans and Hillary Clinton fans by backing Barack Obama, and infuriated Christian ones by promoting a New Age religion book, Winfrey has been punished by declining ratings which fell to a record low. The average audience for The Oprah Winfrey Show fell under seven million last season – a seven per cent slip on the previous year and its fourth straight year of decline. One week during July, the daytime show had its lowest ratings since it first went on air in 1985.