Sunday, January 07, 2007

Apprentice TV Show contestant causess waves during tryouts

Kelly Wilson, Get Out
January 7, 2007
When Jenn Hoffman auditioned for the sixth season of “The Apprentice,” the 27-year-old Phoenix publicist made waves before she sat down with NBC casting directors by cutting to the front of the line.
“It caused a lot of anger,” says Hoffman, a publicist with Orca Communications, adding that one woman was especially irate during the April tryouts at Fort McDowell Casino. “I was like, this is the ‘Apprentice,’ lady. We’re all here to get ahead.’ ” Hoffman is a blonde who has worked as a freelance reporter for KTVK-TV (Channel 3) since August and studied sociology and communications at Arizona State University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2001. She says that she’s been watching the show since it debuted in 2004. “I thought, ‘I could do that,’ ” she says. Hoffman says that it takes a certain kind of person to be on a reality show. “When you get there and the cameras go on you really start examining like, ‘Oh my God, what type of person am I to want to be here?’ ” she says. “I had reservations about being on a reality show in the first place. I think I’m one of the first people on the show who really was self-aware and aware of the fact that this is a reality show. I feel like other people really didn’t grasp that.” This round of “The Apprentice,” which was filmed from late May through July, moved to Los Angeles for its sixth season. “The L.A. thing makes it different because you don’t have that New York City kind of big business, corporate atmosphere,” says Hoffman. “It’s a little more laid-back.” Like previous seasons, 18 contestants will vie for a chance to work for Trump. But in a new move, the winning team will live in a swanky mansion while the losing team has to sleep outside the house in tents. Although Hoffman can’t talk too much about her experience because of secrecy agreements, she says the rewards stood out this season. “We did meet some celebrities, and that was definitely really cool,” she says. “And the Playboy Mansion was involved in a reward, but I can’t say if I was a part of that.” Hoffman, who is originally from New York, says that meeting Trump was a reward in itself. “He’s fantastic,” says Hoffman, who will begin working as an entertainment reporter for FREE (101.5 FM) on Monday. “He’s everything. He doesn’t disappoint. He is exactly who he says he is and he doesn’t mince words. It was really exciting to meet him. ... He’s always been an icon to me.” Hoffman, who will host a viewing party tonight at Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery in Tempe, says she’s looking forward to watching how she’s depicted on the show. “I hope that I’m well-received, and if I’m not then I hope I’m not ignored,” she says. Viewing party Jenn Hoffman will host a viewing party for the sixth season of “The Apprentice” at 8 p.m. today at Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, 660 W. Warner Road, Tempe, (480) 592-0102. There is no cover.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home