US woman given free car by Oprah Winfrey reveals what the host said once cameras were off that completely transformed her life
Published on Jul 09, 2026 at 2:21 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Jul 09, 2026 at 2:21 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
A woman who was given a free Pontiac G6 on The Oprah Winfrey Show has shared what the TV personality told her once the cameras were off, and it wasn’t about the car.
Oprah did a lot of giveaways on her show, including several car giveaways.
They did a few with VW Beetles, and even more with Pontiacs.
Now, one winner from the early 2000s has opened up about what happened next.
The ‘You get a car!’ catchphrase was never scripted
The ‘You get a car!’ catchphrase came from a 2004 episode of her show where she gave out free Pontiac G6s, but it was never scripted.
During Season 19 of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the TV star came up with a tagline that’s still iconic .
“You get a car! Everybody gets a car!” she said.
The tagline was completely spontaneous because the giveaway genuinely surprised audience members.
They already knew somebody would go home with a free Pontiac G6, but they hadn’t been told that there would be more than one.
That’s why Oprah came up with the iconic catchphrase, and that’s also why audience members were genuinely surprised.
What Oprah said inspired this woman to change her life
One Pontiac G6 recipient who was in the audience, Kiley Russell, shared what the TV host told her on a new episode of Oprah: Where Are mamThey Now?.
“She said, ‘We’re not just giving away cars, we’re improving the way people live their lives’,” Russell said.
“Sometimes people say something to you and it’s like a tuning fork on your spine – it just rocks you,” she explained.
Russell also explained that she decided to sell the car to fund her business.
“I decided to sell the car and use that as seed money to start Big Girl Cosmetics,” Russell explained.
The business is doing fine, and apparently Russell decided to create a product that’s also a tribute to Oprah, a lip gloss called ‘Angel’s Halo’.
“Since she gave us our start and she was my angel, I thought it’d be nice to offer a tribute to her,” Russell concluded.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
