JK Rowling tells Oprah Winfrey of her battle with suicidal demons

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has opened her heart to Oprah Winfrey about the depression she suffered before finding fame.

Rowling talked about depression that drove her to the brink of suicide in a candid interview with Winfrey to be shown across America next week, reports the Daily Express.

Now worth an estimated £519 million, Rowling gave an emotional account of her struggle as a single mother and an aspiring novelist before her rise to stardom.

Winfrey asked her regrets in life, her critics and her husband Dr Neil Murray, who is described as the "love of her life".

In the candid hour-long interview, Winfrey also discovers why Rowling once turned down an offer from pop star Michael Jackson.

A trailer on chat show queen Winfrey's website says "the first self-made billionaire author in history" opens up about "depression, her biggest regrets, and the love of her life".

Confessing she went to her GP with serious depression, she said: "We're talking suicidal thoughts here, we're not talking about, 'I'm a little bit miserable'."

She said she probably ended counselling sessions too early, adding "I went through a really rough time and I am quite proud that I got out of that."