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Stiff upper lip keeps TV fate secret

Sara Blakely met many Rebel Billionaire challenges. Keeping the outcome quiet may have been a bigger task.

By CHASE SQUIRES
Published January 12, 2005

Special to the Times Still able to laugh, Sara Blakely, right, and Joy Gills watched the final episode of Rebel Billionaire on Tuesday night in Atlanta.

ATLANTA - Chalk it up to another blow for reality TV.

It was like a one-two punch in the gut for the crowd assembled to see Clearwater native Sara Blakely fall just a bit short of game show glory.

Blakely, 33, was with more than 60 friends and co-workers in a reserved room at an Atlanta sports bar Tuesday.

Twenty-three televisions surrounded the throng, and only Blakely knew if she would be the winner of Fox reality show Rebel Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best.

It was either slick editing, or a great injustice. But in the end, despite what seemed like a sure win for Blakely, Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Records and Virgin Airlines, named Utah bean bag chair mogul Shawn Nelson the winner.

Nelson won $1-million and a three-month stint helping run Branson's global empire worth billions. If he does well, Nelson will head a new corporate division for Branson.

Blakely, a 1989 graduate of Clearwater High School and founder of the Spanx brand of women's undergarments, kept her secret. When Branson announced his decision, the room went silent.

Everyone was so, so sure.

Blakely said she remains in good spirits. Her company is booming, and Branson has taken a personal stake in her quest to help women everywhere. He is giving her $750,000 to start a charitable foundation.

"I feel like I still won," Blakely said between hugs from friends. "Richard called me yesterday, he wants to fly me to London and talk about the foundation. I really want to do something to help women."

Her friends, however, were shocked. In the final installment, editors made it look as if Blakely was a slam dunk for the win.

"I'm stunned," said lifelong friend Tabitha Iseman. "I'm beside myself. I don't understand it."

Blakely said it was difficult keeping the outcome secret, since the it was determined Sept. 25. But she said she agreed to do that when she went on the show, and she likes surprises.

But the pressure was brutal. On Tuesday, it was at a fever pitch with calls from news organizations, radio programs and friends.

After months of keeping mum, Blakely struggled to hold herself together for just a few more hours Tuesday afternoon.

After enduring hours of newspaper, radio and television interviews, she was drained.

Goofing around with a pair of drive-time radio jocks at 4 p.m., Blakely's laughter turned to tears in a flash.

"I think my emotions are coming out at strange times," she said, wiping her eyes. "I'm laughing, and all of a sudden I'm crying. I don't know what's wrong."

It had been a rough day: 17 media interviews; her designer was rushing to finish drawings before flying to Taiwan Saturday; her childhood best friends from Clearwater flew up to be with her; and Blakely is mulling attending a Golden Globe promotional tie-in at the end of the week.

And there was this big, big secret.

Blakely was selected from among 50,000 applicants to be one of 16 contestants vying for the $1-million prize and the chance to run Branson's worldwide Virgin Group conglomerate.

In an eight-week ordeal, Blakely competed with the other contestants, each of them a success in their fields. While striving to demonstrate business acumen in cerebral challenges, they had to overcome daunting physical contests.

[Last modified January 12, 2005, 02:52:14]