David gets the O

Oprah Winfrey has finally accepted an invite from David Letterman to appear on the "Late Show" on Dec. 1.

Letterman made the announcement during a taping of his show yesterday. "What a big night that is going to be not only for us, not only for Oprah, but for Broadway," Letterman said. "You have the big `Color Purple' Broadway opening, and then right across the street here in this theater, you have Oprah appearing here. I mean, that's what Broadway is all about. It's a street of dreams."

Winfrey told Time magazine in 2003 that she wouldn't go on Letterman's show because she's been "completely uncomfortable" as the target of his jokes.

"This just gives you an idea of what a big, big star this really is," Letterman said on Monday. "She's huge. Put bygones behind us, the water under the bridge, over the dam, wherever water goes standing in your basement. She's going to be here on this show and it's going to be fantastic."

In 2003, Letterman joked about wanting Winfrey on his show to hold "the Super Bowl of love." Winfrey, who had sent an olive branch gift of books for Letterman's newborn son, called his bluff and invited him on her show. He declined.

"Here's what would happen: I would go on the `Oprah' show, and I would break down and sob like a little girl ... I don't want to have that happen," he said at the time. "I'd feel ridiculous. I'd never be able to live that down, that Oprah would make me sob."