Oprah Winfrey's longtime partner Stedman Graham doesn't ''define'' himself by their relationship.

The 69-year-old author and businessman has opened up about his life with the media mogul, and he doesn't see himself in the same way others do.

Appearing on 'The Kyle & Jackie O Show' this week, he said: ''I'm defined a lot by my relationship with Oprah, but it has nothing to do with me.

''That's how you define me! That's how you define me, it's not how I define myself.''

Stedman hailed Oprah as ''an unbelievable woman'', but insisted he is focused on himself and his own success.

He explained: ''I'm developing a process of continuous improvement every day based on my skills, talents, abilities, interests and passion. That's what makes me happy.

''So I don't care what you do. I could care less who you are or what you do or what you've been able to accomplish, because it has nothing to do with who I am as a person.''

And he revealed the couple rarely have rows as they ''think the same'', even if they have very different public profiles.

He added: ''We think the same, we're in the same business. The difference is, she does it in the air, I do it on the ground, so I'm grassroots.''

The loved up pair have been together ever since they met at a charity event in 1986, and they got engaged six years later.

Oprah previously said she is thankful her partner has always allowed her to ''be who [she] needs to be'' as she thinks their relationship would have changed if they had got married as she'd have felt too restricted.

She said: ''I used to think about this all the time, that I was working these 17-hour days, and so were my producers, and then I go home and I have my two dogs and I have Stedman, who's letting me be who I need to be in the world.

''He's never demanding anything from me like, 'Where's my breakfast? Where's my dinner?' Never any of that, which I believed would have changed had we married.

''No question about it -- we would not stay married, because of what that would have meant to him, and I would have had my own ideas about it. I have not had one regret about that.''