Oprah Winfrey reveals what really happened during the iconic 'You get a car!' episode
The Queen of Talk, Oprah Winfrey, has revealed what really happened behind the scenes of the unforgettable episode where every audience member drove home with a new car.
From interviewing world leaders and Hollywood legends to creating unforgettable feel-good television, Oprah Winfrey's long-running talk show delivered countless iconic moments. But none captured audiences quite like the 2004 episode in which every member of the studio audience received a brand-new 2005 Pontiac G6 sedan.
More than two decades later, the episode remains one of the most talked-about moments in television history.
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Oprah revealed what was really happening behind the scenes during the famous giveaway.
She explained that the original plan was to give away 11 cars, with the 12th serving as the big surprise. However, when the audience began reacting, it became clear there was confusion over who would actually receive the 12th car.
"We had given out 11 cars on this particular day, and there was the 12th car," she explains.
However, when more people in the audience seemed to believe that they got cars, Oprah says she ended up giving the entire audience.
"That first woman, that first Black woman, who goes, 'I got it. It's me.' And then someone next to her said, 'No, I got it, I got it.' So I thought, 'Oh, we're gonna have pandemonium with everybody thinking, 'No, I'm the one that got it.'"
Oprah says she ended up screaming on the show because of the excitement of the crowd.
"I was screaming it because they were screaming so loud," she said. "Nobody could hear what I was saying."
Oprah also shared that her production team worked through the night preparing for the giveaway.
"I remember in the middle of the night that we hadn't taped the keys down to the boxes. It occurred to me, and I said to the producers, who were up all night actually for the show, 'You’ve got to tape the keys into the boxes because the first thing people are going to do is shake the box,'" she explained.
The episode saw 276 cars given away at a reported cost of $7 million, making it one of the biggest giveaways in television history.
Oprah also laughed about another last-minute detail: the decorative bows on the cars.
"You don't want those little Christmas bows with the little pointy things. You don't want that. You want a big bow," she said.
Reflecting on the episode, Oprah said seeing the joy on people's faces remains one of the happiest moments of her life.
More than 20 years later, the giveaway continues to be remembered as one of television’s most iconic moments and a powerful reminder of the impact generosity can have.
Watch Oprah explain what really happened in the clip below.
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