Jenny McCarthy inks deal with Winfrey's Harpo

Jenny McCarthy gestures as she is interviewed at the premiere of the movie ''Yes Man'' at the Mann Village theatre in Westwood, California December 17, 2008.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Jenny McCarthy is poised to become the next star in Oprah Winfrey's media empire.

McCarthy has inked a multi-year deal with Winfrey's Harpo Prods. to develop projects on different platforms, including a syndicated talk show that the actress/author would host.

The first collaboration under the pact is a blog by McCarthy on Oprah.com, which launched Friday. Like other Winfrey proteges-turned-TV moguls, among them Rachael Ray and Dr. Phil, McCarthy has been a frequent guest on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

McCarthy talked to the chat queen about her struggles with her son's autism in conjunction with the publication of her best-selling books "Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism" and "Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds." McCarthy also has participated twice in Winfrey's Friday Live panels, most recently this past Friday.

A former Playboy model, McCarthy burst into the TV scene as the host of MTV's dating show "Singled Out," a job that jump-started her acting career. She later segued into writing with a string of best-selling books and became an activist on behalf of the search for a cure for autism.

(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)