Celebrity Apprentice Australia producers reportedly sabotaged contestants during challenges while they were competing to raise money for their chosen charities.
We all know by now that reality TV isn’t reality TV without some behind-the-scenes meddling and according to 2022 contestant Beck Zemek, this year’s brutal competition was no exception!
In an exclusive chat with So Dramatic! podcast’s Megan Pustetto, the former Married at First Sight Australia bride revealed that producers tried to be sneaky with their interferences. However, it didn’t always amount to success.
Recalling the lingerie catwalk challenge, Beck said after sending their designs to the seamstress, the pieces were returned by producers in shambles.
“They actually came back to us without all our pieces completed,” she said. “[They] said [the seamtress] ran out of material to get them done.”
However, when Beck’s team went backstage after the challenge, they discovered this wasn’t the case.
“In that room, producers forgot to actually move all of the seamstress’ stuff and there was probably 50 metres of gold fabric in this room.”
While Beck acknowledged that the crux of the show is to raise money for charity, she admitted the series can’t go without drama.
“People don’t watch charity shows, they watch drama,” she said.
Lord Sugar Doesn’t Actually Choose Who Gets Fired
Lord Alan Sugar might have the privilege of telling contestants “you’re fired”, but he doesn’t actually choose who gets sent home.
In the instance when Samantha Jade was booted from the show after the lingerie challenge, Beck said the singer wasn’t her first pick to face elimination.
“I’ll only put who I think should go in that [board]room. If I have to choose one person, it’s Turia [Pitt],” she said.
According to Beck, the motivational speaker was doing “personal work” during the challenge, whereas Samantha “stayed back three extra hours” to help the team succeed.
“However, I had producers in my ear and they were just like, ‘look, we want Sam to go home… You should put Samantha in that room,'” Beck recalled.
While the celebrities ultimately “get to choose” who faces Lord Sugar in the boardroom, there is “still an overarching decision” made by producers.
Beck also said that producers will “feed [contestants] lines” for the boardroom scenes to “ramp up” the drama.
“They’ll be like, ‘You’re not fighting for your charity, why aren’t you showing us why you want to be here? Tell us why they should go home’,” she said, adding: “You’re supposed to be pointing fingers at everyone but yourself.”
Celebrity Apprentice 2022 Winner Benji Marshall Was Always Going to Win
There’s no denying that eventual 2022 winner Benji Marshall wasn’t deserving of his victory. However, it seems producers were gunning for him to win!
According to the TV bride, the NRL great “wasn’t giving 100 per cent” but he always managed to escape eviction despite making “smart-a*s comments to Lord Sugar”.
“There was no way he wasn’t going to win,” Beck said. “I don’t think it was set up that he won, but there were certain times where he couldn’t give a sh*t. [sic].”
Celebrity Apprentice Producers Hired People to Show Up to Challenges
While it often looks like fans are flocking in from far and wide to participate in challenges, Beck said producers actually hired paid extras to show up to the events!
Calling on the intense golf day challenge, the mum of one said everyone had to be COVID-tested on set. As such, Beck’s team of supporters were a “rent-a-crowd”.
“These are all the things you don’t see,” she confessed. “We had a whole rent-a-crowd plus our own celebrity guests.”
Beck added that there were only around 40 people who were personal guests, “then the rest were rent-a-crowd”.
Want even more goss? Listen to episode 198 of the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto below!
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