On Friday, Fetterman expressed his gratitude for the talk show host’s support.

“She’s an icon. It’s unbelievable,” Fetterman said during an appearance on ABC’s The View. “It’s an honor, and I’m so grateful that she understands what’s at stake here in this race.”

Oz first gained national attention as a health expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show before he landed his own talk show in 2009. Oz’s show, which ended in January, was produced by Winfrey’s company Harpo Productions.

Winfrey had been receiving criticism online for remaining silent about Oz’s candidacy, and many social media users called on her to endorse Fetterman. On Thursday, she indicated her preference during an online discussion about the importance of voting.

“If I lived in Pennsylvania, I would have already cast my vote for John Fetterman, for many reasons,” Winfrey said.

When contacted for comment about Winfrey’s endorsement, Oz spokeswoman Brittany Yanick provided the following statement to multiple outlets: “Doctor Oz loves Oprah and respects the fact that they have different politics. He believes we need more balance and less extremism in Washington.”

Fetterman, who is recovering from a life-threatening stroke he suffered in May, is locked in a tight race with Oz. An average of recent polls compiled by Real Clear Politics shows a deadlock with Fetterman only slightly besting the celebrity physician by 0.2 percentage points.

During Thursday’s virtual discussion, Winfrey also endorsed other Democratic candidates across the country.

“That is not the only race that matters,” she said. “If I was in North Carolina, as you mentioned, Sister [Cheri] Beasley there, and if I was in Florida, I’d be supporting Val Demings. If I was in Wisconsin, it would be Mandela Barnes. In Nevada, [Catherine] Cortez Masto, and in Texas, Beto O’Rourke and Raphael Warnock and the incredible Stacey Abrams, of course, in Georgia.”

She added, “So there are clear choices out there and some dynamic candidates who are working to represent the values—this is what we’re talking about—the values that we hold dear, the values of inclusion, the values of compassion and community that so many of us share.”

“So use your discernment, which seems to be missing in a lot of our country today. Use your discernment and choose wisely for the democracy of our country,” Winfrey said.

Newsweek reached out to Winfrey and Oz for comment.

Update 11/04/22 1:15 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include more background information.