Madonna to defend adoption on Oprah

The singer will answer the latest claims by the 13-month-old boy's biological father, who now says he never intended to give up his son "for good".

Peasant farmer Yohane Banda said he only ever meant for the pop superstar to raise and educate his child before bringing him back to Malawi.

Madonna will talk about her decision to adopt David - and whether or not she intends to keep him in touch with his African heritage - on Oprah this Wednesday.

A spokesman for the show said: "You've read the headlines, heard the rumours and seen the photos. Now, for the first time, Madonna speaks out with her side of the story on the adoption controversy."

It is not known if the 48-year-old intends to fly David to the US with her.

He is believed to have been issued with a US visa shortly before he left Malawi for a new life in London with the star and her film director husband Guy Ritchie.

Controversy over the adoption is also raging in the US.

One poster on the Oprah website writes: "Why are these celebrities allowed to adopt children in record time while us 'regular' folks go through years of hell?"

Another said: "As much as I admire anyone for adopting any child to save them from abuse, starvation, death etc. I can't help [but] wonder why these celebrities who are adopting and bringing these children home in record time have to adopt outside of North America?

"How many orphaned children are there in the US or Canada? I understand that every child needs a home and someone to love them, but why not start off at home?"

Madonna was originally set to appear on Oprah to publicise the release of her latest children's book, The English Roses: Too Good To Be True, which is published tomorrow and is a follow-up to her 2003 best-seller.

Dates with other US talk shows are set for coming days but Oprah will be her first stop.
All proceeds from the new book will be donated to the singer's Raising Malawi charity for orphans.

The adoption saga took a new twist last night when David's father said he only agreed to let Madonna take the little boy on the assurance from government officials that Madonna would be a temporary carer.

Mr Banda, 32, said: "I cannot read and write so I relied on what the (government) officials told me, that the papers said Madonna would look after the child the way the orphanage planned to educate him and then he comes back to me.

"Had they told us that Madonna wanted to adopt my son and make him her own son, we would not have agreed to that."

The peasant farmer, who makes a living growing onions and tomatoes in his home village of Lipunga, signed adoption papers earlier this month.

That cleared the way for a judge to grant the celebrity couple a "temporary order" to take away the baby, who was flown to London last week.

Earlier this week Mr Banda criticised human rights groups that have gone to court to stop Madonna adopting David.

But his new comments appear to take a different line on the adoption.

Mr Banda gave David up to an orphanage at five weeks because he was unable to care for him when the baby's mother died shortly after his birth.

Later this week, a coalition of human rights groups will ask a judge in Malawi to review the case, claiming that the country's laws prevent international adoption, even by celebrities.