Paula Deen has two vices, potatoes and cigarettes, and she’s ready to kick the latter.
“I’m so embarrassed and ashamed,” she tells Dr. Oz on his talk show in an emotional interview scheduled to air Monday.
The queen of Southern-fried cooking admits that she’s been smoking up to a pack and a half a day for the past 50 years before sheepishly asking Dr. Oz to help her quit.
“The story you’re telling me, I’ve heard a lot,” he says. “I’m a heart surgeon. Did you know that I have never operated on a smoker in my life? Because I love them too much. If I operate on a smoker, I’ve given up my one chance to get them to stop. … The real message you have to hear is that I care about you, [your family cares] about you. … Most of America loves you dearly. All they’re asking you to do is to love yourself as much as we love you.”
