The Help star made history by becoming the first black woman to win the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Emmy Award in September (15) for her TV show How to Get Away with Murder.

During her emotional speech, she said, "The only thing that separates women of colour from anything else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles for things that are simply not there."

However, Whoopi disagrees with the actress, insisting there is plenty of opportunity for black stars but they do not receive awards recognition often, citing Kerry Washington's lack of honours for her hit drama Scandal.

"Well, I'm not sure what it means. Opportunity to do what?... The truth of the matter is there's been plenty of opportunity," Oprah tells BET.com. "I mean, Scandal. Let's just start with that. Kerry Washington is there and she's working her booty off, okay? But they didn't vote for her.

"So, maybe the question is, 'What do you have to do to get voted on?' That's the thing. It's not that the opportunity is not there, because we've had lots of opportunities."

Whoopi does admit Viola's win will inspire TV bosses to hire more black stars, adding, "See now there'll be more parts, more dramas because Viola got an Emmy Award. Everybody wants an Emmy, the studios, everybody wants (an Emmy), so they will hire more black women."