Oprah tops Forbes list of most powerful celebrities

Oprah Winfrey is said to have made earnings of $77 million between June 2012 and June 2013

TV mogul Oprah Winfrey has reclaimed the number one spot on Forbes magazine's annual most powerful celebrities list ahead of Lady Gaga, Steven Spielberg and Madonna.

The billionaire TV star is said to have made earnings of $77 million between June 2012 and June 2013. She was also credited for her prominence on TV, on social media and in the press.

Forbes writer Dorothy Pomerantz, said, "She still wields an enormous amount of power, which is really what we look for in our fame matrix. She is taking this cable network and turning it around just through the sheer force of her will, her connections and her ability."

The 59-year-old star, who has topped the list on four previous occasions, is one of three celebrities who featured on the prestigious list every year since its inception in 1999, along with radio DJ Howard Stern and director Steven Spielberg.

However, Winfrey wasn't the highest earning star last year; that honour went to pop icon Madonna, who earned a massive $125 million between June 2012 and June 2013. Last year's number one, Jennifer Lopez, who topped the chart thanks to her public profile and earnings of $52 million, drops to 12 on this year's countdown, while fellow singer Lady Gaga ranks at number two. Despite being forced to cancel numerous dates on her Born This Way Ball tour due to hip surgery earlier this year, the 27-year-old star earned $80 million from the global jaunt.

Lincoln director Spielberg, Grown Woman singer Beyonce and Madonna round out the top five, and Taylor Swift makes her debut on the annual list at number six.