Oprah audience given charity cash

Winfrey gave away 276 cars on her show in September 2004

TV host Oprah Winfrey has given more than 300 audience members $1,000 (£526) each to donate to a charitable cause.

Winfrey - who has previously given her studio audience new cars and paid off their debts - gave each person a debit card loaded with the money.

They can give the entire sum to one person - relatives are not eligible - or split it among charitable causes.

Winfrey called the show her "favourite giveaway ever" describing it as the "gift of giving back".

The 52-year-old TV chat show host told the audience: "I can honestly say that every gift I've ever given has brought at least as much happiness to me as it has to the person I've given it to.

Imagine the love and kindness you can spread with $1,000 Oprah Winfrey

"That's the feeling I want to pass on to you."

Audience members also received a DVD recorder to record their stories for a future show.

"You're going to open your hearts, you're going to be really creative, and you're going to spend it all at once on one stranger or spend a dollar on every person," Winfrey said.

"Imagine the love and kindness you can spread with $1,000."

In September 2004, Winfrey gave a new car to each member of her audience.

A total of 276 Pontiac G6 sports sedans were given away to the all-female audience - worth $7m (£3.7m) in all.