Ananova:

An appearance on Oprah Winfrey's chat show has helped boost sales of George Michael's Patience album in the US.

Following last week's appearance on the Oprah show, the 40-year-old former Wham! singer's latest album has seen sales increase by more than 40 per cent.

According to early sales figures the album has sold more than 50,000 copies since Michael's appearance on Oprah and is set to jump from last week's disappointing debut spot of No. 25 up to a mid-Top 20 spot in this week's chart which is officially announced later.

Industry insiders predict the album could land in this week's Top 10.

Michael's popularity slumped in the States following his arrest in 1998 for soliciting an undercover policeman in a Beverly Hills toilet.

The popstar tried to defuse the situation a bit by mocking the arrest in the video for his single Outside.

Patience is Michael's first album of new songs for eight years and his first for Sony Music since resigning to the label after his legal battles with the company.