Behind The Photo: Just 10 Seconds Oprah!
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I have met Oprah 4 times in my life but this is the only picture I have to prove it.
My journey to meeting Oprah Winfrey began with my dream interview with Whitney Houston. After witnessing one of Whitney’s awe-inspiring performances, I finally found the courage to submit my video to MTV’s FANatic. When my episode aired, my family gathered around the TV like it was the Super Bowl. Watching myself interact with Whitney felt surreal—I was frozen in shock while my house erupted in cheers.
That moment changed everything. Suddenly, I was being recognized by Whitney fans everywhere and invited to speak at schools and churches about following dreams. I realized my experience wasn’t just mine anymore—it was inspiring others. And I had one person I desperately wanted to thank: Oprah Winfrey. Her words, “God can dream a bigger dream than you,” had guided me, and I knew I had to express my gratitude in person.
Determined, I called Oprah’s studio for weeks until I secured a seat in the audience. My goal? Get ten seconds with Oprah. On April 20, 1999, I walked into The Oprah Winfrey Show and prayed for my moment. Seated front and center, I boldly held up ten fingers during a commercial break. Oprah noticed.
“Ten what?” she asked.
“Ten seconds with you before the show ends,” I blurted out.
She smiled and moved on. I had no idea if she’d actually give me those ten seconds—but I refused to give up.
After the show, Oprah was leaving when I locked eyes with her again. “I gotta go,” she said, pointing to her watch.
Before she could take a step, I called out: “Uh, uh, Oprah!”
The room fell silent. I could feel people staring, but I didn’t care.
“Oprah, please. Just ten seconds,” I pleaded.
She paused, then sighed. “Alright then. Go ahead.”
I couldn’t believe it. I had just convinced Oprah Winfrey to stop and listen to me. My prayer had been answered—even if she didn’t know why.
Photo courtesy of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
As Oprah walked back to her big yellow chair, I stood there in disbelief—she was actually going to listen to me. Though the show had technically ended, a camera operator was suddenly at my feet, filming. My only thought was, Quencie, you better make this count.
By some miracle, the words flowed effortlessly. My ten seconds turned into ten minutes—perhaps Oprah’s fear all along. When I finished thanking her for inspiring me to chase my dreams, the audience erupted in applause. I hadn’t expected that kind of love, especially when they were supposed to be heading out.
Oprah walked over and gave me a big hug. I handed her a picture of me and Whitney with the words “You will win when you believe” written at the bottom.
She smiled and read it aloud. “You will win when you believe. Fantastic!”
I floated out of Harpo Studios, thanking God the entire way home. That day taught me an invaluable lesson—never give up five minutes before the miracle. Oprah had been on her way out, but I wasn’t rude, just persistent. And in the end, she gave me more than the ten seconds I had asked for. Once again, she proved her own words true: “God can dream a bigger dream than you.”
This wasn’t my first Oprah encounter—just the first time I stopped her from leaving her own studio. I’ve met Oprah four times, but only have one photo to prove it.
My First Oprah Encounter
The first time I saw Oprah, I was in college. My high school teacher—who had taught me to drive a stick shift—invited me on a road trip to Chicago for a taping. It remains the only time I’ve ever driven a manual car.
At the studio, I sat in the far-left section, close but not ideal. When Oprah opened the floor for questions, I eagerly raised my hand. A producer rushed over, deemed my question worthy, and instructed me to stand by the mic. But just as my turn came, Oprah announced, “We’re out of time.”
I threw my hands up in disappointment. My reaction made the whole section groan in protest. Oprah laughed and asked, “Did you just turn the whole section against me?” Then, to my surprise, she walked over and hugged me. I handed her a note and a picture of myself. No cameras captured the moment, but Oprah Winfrey had spoken to me and hugged me. Epic.
The Best Friends Show
In 2011, during The Oprah Winfrey Show’s final season, my best friend Tam made sure we attended at least one taping. She wrote a heartfelt letter about our friendship, and out of thousands of submissions, we got selected for a special Best Friends episode featuring Gayle King.
We flew to Chicago, buzzing with excitement. Even though I had been to Oprah’s show before, this felt brand new. Before the taping, we ran into Oprah’s Executive Producer, Sheri Salata—the mastermind behind Oprah’s legendary finale at the United Center. We even got a picture with her!
Each of these Oprah encounters reminded me that dreams unfold in ways we can’t predict. Sometimes, you just have to ask, be persistent, and let the universe do the rest.
The entire experience was magical—from standing in line to chatting with fellow audience members to sitting just three rows back from Oprah, dead center. It felt like angels were orchestrating every moment.
The show was all about best friends, with Oprah and Gayle sharing hilarious stories. After taping, they stuck around for a 30–40 minute Q&A with the audience. I had prepped the perfect question for days, but each time I raised my hand, Oprah called on someone else. Forget it, I thought.
That’s when Tam stepped in. She waited for the perfect moment, raised her hand, and—boom—Oprah called on her. Without missing a beat, Tam said, “My best friend has a question,” and turned to me. I had no part in making this happen, but there I was, face-to-face with Oprah.
Nervous, I stumbled through my question, but Oprah answered it—and Gayle chimed in too. Their response lasted over six minutes, longer than any other question that day! Later, I found out that Oprah.com had posted the entire exchange. I had no clue until Tam’s sister tagged me on Facebook. Seeing that video online was surreal—like my very own Oprah interview!
And then, Oprah blew our minds. She gifted the entire audience a two-day stay at Miraval Spa in Arizona—one of her all-time favorite retreats. But she didn’t stop there. She covered roundtrip flights, airport car service, and even pajamas. Oprah thought of everything.
For over 20 years, I had watched her give away incredible gifts on TV. Never in a million years did I think I would be on the receiving end.
When Tam and I decided to go to the spa over Memorial Day weekend, I tweeted Oprah, not expecting a response. At the time, she had 5 million followers. No way she’ll see this, I thought.
But she did. And she replied.
Oprah Winfrey replied to me.
It was the perfect ending to an unforgettable experience.
When Tam saw Oprah had replied to my tweet, she immediately tweeted her too—and Oprah replied again! Tam had sent Oprah a thank-you gift for the trip and wanted to know if she received it. We both asked, but never expected a response. Oprah rarely used Twitter, so for her to not only be online but to reply twice felt like a miracle.
Tam and I had an unforgettable time at Miraval Spa—even spotting Ellen DeGeneres and Portia! You know it's top-tier when Ellen is there too. I’ll forever be grateful to Oprah for this incredible gift. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
When Oprah replies to your tweet, you never forget it! After that, I started live-tweeting my favorite OWN shows, and soon, my tweets made it onto TV promos for Oprah’s Next Chapter, Iyanla: Fix My Life, and Super Soul Sunday. Seeing my words on OWN was surreal—like being part of the shows I loved!
My Tweet Reads: @IyanlaVanzant is doing great TV @Oprah thank you got knowing that and putting her on @OWNTV
I was even invited to live-tweet for OWN one Saturday night, taking over the @OWNers handle and leading the conversation with fellow fans. Social media kept my Oprah connection alive in a way I never imagined. Growing up, all we could do was talk back to the TV—now, we could actually tweet the star! Who knew my Oprah journey would include Twitter takeovers and a world-class spa trip?
At Lifeclass, Tam and I sat less than 12 feet from Oprah and her guest, Iyanla Vanzant. During a commercial break, I caught Oprah’s attention and silently asked for a photo using only eye contact and hand gestures. She immediately understood and nodded yes—it felt like our little secret! When the show wrapped, I gave her a desperate “But…” look, like a kid reminding their parent about a promised trip to McDonald’s. Oprah didn’t miss a beat—she motioned for Tam and me to come over, and an OWN staffer snapped our picture. Finally, after four encounters, I had photo proof!
Oprah didn’t have to do any of this, but she did. So many celebrities wouldn’t, but she always made time. Across decades, she remained kind and consistent—exactly as she appears on TV.
That day, I also gave Oprah my favorite pen, a Uniball. Before I could say the brand, she guessed it! I was shook. She even held it throughout the episode, and I beamed with pride like I had gifted her a car.
This Lifeclass taping was my final Oprah encounter. Unlike before, I was the one who wrote in and secured two seats. Since it was in L.A., we didn’t have to fly to Chicago. It was taped in the OWN offices’ lunch area, with a much smaller audience. When we arrived, I looked up and saw Arianna Huffington—fancy crowd! Later, she even served the audience snacks. Only at an Oprah event, right?
We were the last ones seated but somehow ended up in the front row—right next to Oprah’s sister, Patricia Lofton. The Oprah magic never ran out!
Tam, Patricia Lofton (Oprah’s sister) and me
a candid shot I took of Iyanla and Oprah before taping began.
