Oprah Winfrey Defends Madonna Adoption  1/6/07

US talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has leaped to the defense of pop superstar Madonna, insisting her adoption of a Malawian tot was an "amazing" act.

Winfrey visited Africa herself earlier this week (01JAN07) to open a school for disadvantaged girls in South Africa and she can't understand why Madonna's charity to baby David Banda has received so much criticism in the press.

Speaking on British current affairs show Newsnight yesterday (03JAN07) Winfrey said, "I applaud Madonna. I think it's an amazing thing that she did, and it makes me sick that people criticize her, because there are millions of children in this world who will die because no one came to save them.

"I think she deserves praise and applause and not to be criticized."

Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie were granted interim adoption of David in October (06).