Leslie Bibb Credits Oprah for Her Big Break After Winning 1990 Modeling Contest That ‘Opened Up a Whole World’

Before there was America’s Next Top Model, there was The Oprah Winfrey Show‘s modeling contest — won by a 16-year-old Leslie Bibb in 1990.

“I don’t know why [Winfrey] decided to do it, but she hosted a modeling contest with Elite [Modeling Agency] and Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Iman were the judges,” Bibb shared on Today with Jenna & Friends this week.

“I won, and it brought me to New York and sort of opened up a whole world for me. And now here I am,” Bibb, 51, continued. “If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you,”

“I feel like if it wasn’t for Oprah, we wouldn’t be doing a lot of things,” co-host Jenna Bush Hager quipped. “I probably wouldn’t know how to read.”

After winning the competition, Bibb signed with Elite. In 1996, she booked her first TV roles on Pacific Blue and Home Improvement. Now, she’s known for playing the Texas housewife Kate on season 3 of The White Lotus.

But when Winfrey introduced Bibb in 1990, she said Bibb’s aspiration was to be a lawyer and a model. On the show, the young star said she wanted to be a model because of the opportunities to travel and meet new people. Bibb added that she also appreciated the “incredible money” that could come out of modeling.

“My dad died when I was 3 years old. And I have four sisters,” she explained. “For once, I’d like to tell my mom, ‘I can pay for it.’ ‘Cause she loves spending money on us, and it would be nice to get her something back for once.”

The Today show also played a clip from when Bibb found out she won.

“That’s me screaming, ‘The people in Richmond are gonna die! They’re gonna die!’ ” Bibb said, referencing her hometown.

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While Bibb is now more known for acting than modeling, Bush Hager revealed that she was influenced by Bibb’s iconic bob from The White Lotus.

Bush Hager, 43, cut her hair on the June 16 episode of the Today show and revealed the new hairdo the next day with Bibb.

“I feel a little … You know that ’90s movie Single White Female, where you try to copy somebody to such an extent? You made this haircut so famous, and then I used your hairstylist, who is a star, to get the exact same haircut, and I’m feeling a little strange,” the host told Bibb.

Bibb responded, “You don’t look strange. You look sexy and powerful and glamorous. And I kept saying it yesterday — you’re a badass.”