Ina Garten Tells Oprah Winfrey How She Avoided Turning Into Another Martha Stewart

Ina Garten prides herself on sticking to her vision.

76-year-old Barefoot Contessa star spoke with Oprah Winfrey on the December 24 episode The Oprah Podcast about staying true to herself throughout her career and avoiding the pressure to be more like Martha Stewart.

Agreeing that she has to fight for what she wants, Garten noted, “Just trust your vision. I think what works is if you’re really true to who you are. If you believe it so fiercely, someone will believe it too. It’s true.”

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Ina Garten cooks on the ‘Today’ show in 2017.

Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty

Garten, whose career began in publishing The Barefoot Contessa cookbook In 1999, he added: “I’m not going to become this cheerful…person that people will love. Just show who you are and do your best. And I think people believe that. They respect that. They believe in it.”

The home chef added: “If I feel so confident that what I’m doing is right, I don’t let people take me out of my game.”

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Garten and Stewart, 83, have often been compared throughout their careers. Stewart moved into the lifestyle with the publication of her book in 1982 Fun. From there, she launched her massive Martha Stewart empire, including cookbooks, TV shows and magazines.

Having previously addressed rumors of a feud with Stewart, Garten set the record straight during a live Q&A at the PEOPLE offices on Dec. 5. Stewart previously claimed that Garten cut ties with her in 2004 when she went to prison, which Garten denied.

“Well, let’s just say her story isn’t quite right,” Garten countered.

“And you know, that was 25 years ago,” she added with a laugh at the event. “I think it’s time to let it go.”

Martha Stewart prepares a classic breakfast sausage with spinach and onion frittata on March 10, 2020, in New York.

Getty

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The two met in the Hamptons, New York, in the 1990s, and Garten previously wrote a column for Martha Stewart Living magazine. Stewart is also credited with helping put Garten in touch with publishers for her first cookbook.

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Source: HIS Education