Oprah's Unauthorized 'Drake & Josh' Moment: Josh Peck Apologizes

The Unseen Consequences of a Classic Scene

Josh Peck, best known for his role as Josh Nichols on the beloved Nickelodeon sitcom “Drake & Josh,” has recently opened up about a scene from the show that involved one of the most powerful figures in media—Oprah Winfrey. This particular episode, titled “Josh Runs Into Oprah,” was part of the show’s fourth season and remains a standout moment in the series’ history.

Peck revealed during an episode of the “Syd & Olivia Talk Sh*t” podcast that the network never sought permission to use Winfrey’s likeness in the scene. “I don’t know. I know we don’t have her permission. 100% we don’t,” he admitted when asked how the scene made it through production. The episode featured a comedic scenario where Peck’s character, who is obsessed with Oprah, ends up crashing into a stunt double resembling her.

The scene was filmed with a “non-sanctioned” stunt double, which Peck recalls being nervous about. “She was a stunt lady, because she had to do the roll over the car. I was like, ‘Oprah is going to come after you. She’s powerful,'” he said. Despite the risks, the scene was included in the episode, which aired in 2006 as the season premiere of the show's final season.

In the episode, Josh's obsession with Oprah leads him to crash into the parking lot of her studio, resulting in a chaotic sequence that ends with him receiving a restraining order from his idol. Peck expressed disbelief that such a scene was ever approved. “To this day, I’m amazed it made it past the script stage. It’s just insane, the whole plot centers on me hitting Oprah, and somehow that was fine,” he said.

Although the idea wasn’t his, Peck took the opportunity to apologize to Winfrey during the podcast. “I’m so sorry I brutalized you with my vehicle, with my Honda Accord, or whatever it was.” Despite the controversy, Peck acknowledges the lasting impact of the show. “It was such a wild concept, even by early 2000s sitcom standards,” he noted. “But I think that’s what made it so memorable.”

The scene continues to resonate with fans, as Peck mentioned receiving random tags in memes. “It’s weird how much that scene still circulates,” he said. While Winfrey hasn’t publicly responded to the incident, Peck believes she may have a sense of humor about it. “As powerful as Winfrey is, she may also have a sense of humor, as evidenced by her never retaliating against the network or any of the actors in the sitcom.”

Behind the Scenes: A Darker Side of the Industry

Peck’s revelations about the unauthorized use of Winfrey’s likeness are not the only secrets uncovered about Nickelodeon. His co-star, Drake Bell, became central to the 2024 docuseries “Quiet On Set,” which exposed the toxic environment behind the scenes of children's television programs from the 1990s to the 2000s.

The documentary highlighted issues involving Bell and the show’s dialogue coach, Brian Peck, who was not related to Josh Peck. After the docuseries brought these issues to light, Peck shared his thoughts on social media, expressing his support for protecting children and acknowledging the difficulty of reliving such experiences publicly.

“Children should be protected. Reliving this publicly is incredibly difficult, but I hope it can bring healing for the victims and their families as well as necessary change to our industry,” he wrote. However, some fans criticized Peck for not speaking out more in defense of Bell. In response, Bell posted a TikTok video asking fans to be kind to Peck, stating that he was processing everything and that Peck had reached out to help him through the situation.

“It’s been really, really great,” Bell added, emphasizing that not everything is shared publicly. This exchange highlights the complex dynamics between the cast members and the ongoing challenges they face in addressing past events.