"I'm not 100 per cent, actually," Jackman said after struggling to free himself from his harness while dangling 10 metres in the air. Hugh Jackman flies his way into the Oprah Winfrey show. Credit:Brendan Esposito "I've hurt my eye; it's not bad. I'm really sorry about this." Jackman's son, Oscar, appeared visibly upet while watching his father from the front row. "That was so much fun until the end," he joked.

Winfrey called for an ice-pack and paramedics rushed to the stage to take treat Jackman for his injury. Hugh Jackman is tangled in rigging after his flying fox entrance fails. Credit:Brendan Esposito The star was taken off stage for treatment while Winfrey entertained the crowd. Jackman, who returned a short time later with a small bandage under his eye, admitted the excitement caused him to hit the brake too late. "I came down waving to everyone, looking over Sydney Harbour, saw my dad, the kids and you, went to pull the brake and then boing," Jackman told Winfrey.

Jackman then gave Oprah a lesson on Vegemite, spreading some onto a SAO biscuit and offering it to the talk show queen.‘‘I like it,’’ she declared before eating some more and washing it down with a glass of Penfold’s Grange. I don’t care how long it takes to get in, I just want to see her The second show opened with an appearance from U2 frontman Bono. Earlier, Winfrey stunned her packed Sydney audience on the Opera House forecourt today with a stream of giveaways. She gave $250,000 to Sydney couple Kristian and Rachel Anderson, thanks to Xbox Australia.

Mr Anderson is battling cancer and caught Winfrey's attention when an emotional video he made for his wife and featuring Hugh Jackman became a global internet sensation. Winfrey gave the couple a cheque so they and their two children could "take the year off and get well". But the audience did not miss out either, with Winfrey announcing that everyone would receive a silver necklace with an "O" pendant and a large South Sea pearl from north-western Australia in its centre that retails for $450. Winfrey also took time to speak directly to her fans after the show, telling them that "it means as much for me as it did to you for you to be here". "This experience for me has been really of divine order. It has been heaven sent.

"More power and love to you Australia," she said to the crowd, who gave her a standing ovation. And she thanked Australians for teaching her to "work to live, not live to work". Satisfied fans The crowd were just as effusive in their praise of the megastar. Jackie Parsons, 25, who took the day off work and travelled from Newcastle with her mother-in-law for the show, said she has been "watching Oprah for as long as I can remember".

Her mother-in-law, Janet, who is celebrating her 58th birthday tomorrow, said she was moved by Oprah's speech after the taping. "She's so humble. She’s a beautiful person and it shows." She touched on the emotive nature of Oprah's programs, adding: "It wouldn't be an Oprah show without a tear." Kadiatu Sesay, who has been watching the show for two decades, said she has always wanted to meet the American host. "I like everything on her show. She's one of my heroes."

Stars come out for Oprah Thousands had packed Sydney's Macquarie Street to queue to get into the show. Winfrey, wearing a burnt orange taffeta ensemble, bounced on to the special stage and danced to Men at Work's Land Down Under, calling out "I Love Australia!" Her first guest was Russell Crowe, who walked to the Opera House from his harbourside home and told her that the difference between Australian men and their American brothers is that "Americans have better dental work". "I like to come back here and get cut down by the tall poppy syndrome," Crowe said when asked why he kept a home only in Australia.

The Irwin family - Bindi, Bob and Terri - also took to the stage wearing the "family colours" - khaki and accessorised with two huge pythons. Terri Irwin, Steve Irwin's widow, broke down in tears as she spoke about her late husband. "I think the best thing about Australia is mateship," she told Winfrey. Living with Steve had been like living in a cyclone, she added. In a video, screened during Jay-Z's appearance on the show, the rapper made an unexpected appearance at Canterbury Boys' High school in Sydney's south-west, sending a teacher into hysterics and the boys cheering and yelling.

Winfrey also made one of her now customary surprise gift announcements, telling the more than 300 boys - who were watching the show from within the Opera House - that they and their teachers were all to receive computers sponsored by HP and Microsoft. Their school's library and music room were also going to be upgraded to the tune of $1 million. But the biggest cheer was for rock band Bon Jovi. The audience stood up, some on their plastic chairs, singing in unison and waving their hands as lead singer Jon Bon Jovi belted out old favourites It's My Life and Living On A Prayer. Winfrey started a big day of filming by remarking on the big welcome she has received from Australians.

She told a press conference that she was now an "unofficial ambassador for Australia". "And I have the biggest mouth," she said to laughter. She described her trip here so far as "exceeding every expectation". "In 25 years [of doing my show], I haven't seen anything like this." Spending on show defended

The billionaire American, who is hosting The Oprah Winfrey Show for the last year, brushed away criticism about taxpayers' money spent on her trip by the Australian government, saying: "I didn't know there was a controversy about it." There are "millions of people who have never heard of Uluru" but would now hear about and see it, she said. Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson defended the use of taxpayers' money to help stage the show. The "small investment" of $4 million to $5 million by several federal and state agencies was money well spent, Mr Ferguson said. Australia had already reaped a benefit of $71 million in Australia and $14 million in the United States, he said.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, whose company helped bring the show to Australia, said, "There's no doubt in my mind it's the best marketing expenditure we could make. "It's probably one of the best tourism initiatives Australia will ever make." Highlights of trip Winfrey joked about the adoration and adulation she had received, which she said had been like nothing else in her 25-year career. She cited visiting Uluru, Hamilton Island, the Great Barrier Reef and watching a giant "O" being illuminated on the Harbour Bridge in her honour as the highlights of her trip.

Those who managed to get hold of the hottest ticket in town - allocated through a hugely oversubscribed ballot - began waiting to get into the cordoned-off Opera House at first light. Several people without tickets even slept out at Circular Quay overnight in the hope of securing a distant glimpse of Winfrey and the galaxy of stars due to perform at the shows. "We've come all the way from Perth to see her," ticket holder Kylie McGrath said. "Somehow we managed to get a ticket through the ballot, so the minute we won I said to my husband, 'Book the flights!'" A small number of standby tickets were made available, though show producers warned those waiting in line for the last-minute allocations that they would be issued depending on space.

Plenty of those waiting clutched banners or wore T-shirts professing their love for Winfrey. At least one business took advantage of the queues - selling coffee to the waiting hordes. At 8am the queue along Macquarie Street had snaked back to Albert Street. There appeared to be far more women than men waiting. The first of Winfrey's shows was filmed at 10am, the second is due to be filmed about 5pm.

"I don't care how long it takes to get in, I just want to see her," said Sydneysider Jess Taylor. "I think it's just going to be really fascinating seeing such a global phenomenon making her show." There was a significant police presence at the Opera House, and dozens of media. By 10am just a handful of hopeful people still waited in a line for last-minute tickets. They included some diehards who queued for hours for just a glimpse of their hero.

Several fans in the Macquarie Street queue looked exhausted as they waited to get in, with at least one sinking to her knees and holding her head in her hands as she waited in the morning sunshine. Others were more buoyant, chanting Winfrey's name and waving banners. Loading "I ♥ Oprah" T-shirts have been selling like hot cakes in Circular Quay shops. - with Andrew Hornery and AAP