The cost of going on a reality show

This week, we answer two of your questions, including one that comes up time and time again: Just how can those reality contestants put their jobs (and bills!) on hold for weeks and even months?

Q: How can reality contestants afford to take off work for weeks, or months at a time?  Are they well-paid for their participation, do they generally take a leave of absence, or what?    —Mary, Yonkers, NY

Andy says:  Most series do require contestants to be gone for a significant period of time. To keep the results of the series secret, even the first person voted off will stay away for the length of the series (they usually are sent to a resort or on a vacation, as we discussed before). Whether or not the contestant takes a leave of absence from their job, disappears for a long vacation, or quits altogether varies widely.

Some shows, particularly those without game elements, offer stipends to compensate their cast members. "Real World" roommates are paid small stipends for their "story rights"; the exact total isn't disclosed, but executive producer Jonathan Murray told USA TODAY, "I used to say it was enough to buy a used car. Now it's probably not quite as big a used car."

One thing's clear, though: You should want to be on a reality series for the experience, because participation in a series definitely does not come with a guarantee of fame and fortune.

Even if a show pays out a big prize (a lot of which will be eaten by taxes) and pays out smaller cash prizes to the losers, it's doubtful you'll become rich. And after you embarrass yourself on national TV, you very well may lose your job, too.

Gael says: There are as many answers to this as there are contestants.

Some do it by being their own bosses to begin with. Original "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch had his own corporate-training company even before he went to do the show, and when you're the boss, no one can tell you you can't take a break from working. (Hatch's break obviously paid off big-time.) First "Apprentice" winner Bill Rancic also ran his own business, an online cigar company.

Some have jobs that are flexible. Jenna Morasca was a college student and sometime swimsuit model when she joined "Survivor Amazon." Both of those are occupations that can be stepped away from and returned to as needed. Tom Westman, who won "Survivor Palau," was obviously given some kind of leave from his job as a Brooklyn firefighter — and he returned to the job after winning the million-dollar prize.

Some, to be frank, are already wealthy. When Kendra Todd won "The Apprentice" this year, the Palm Beach Post reported that her new $250,000 salary working for Donald Trump would mean she was taking a pay cut from her own real-estate job. Kwame Jackson, who came in second to Rancic on the first "Apprentice," was working at Goldman Sachs. The Wall Street Journal reported that Jackson made $125,000 a year there but that some traders at the firm made up to $10 million a year, implying that Jackson was working his way up to that kind of dough too.

MORE FROM REALITY TV

Reality TV Section Front

‘Survivor’ gets personal as season nears end Immunity idol? That's no immunity idol! McKey legs out Sam for 'Top Model' title Julianne Hough won’t return to ‘Dancing’ ‘Dancing’ sends Cody back to ‘Montana’ Flat-footed journalist quits dancing show Reality judges range from wise to wacko ‘Bachelor’ winner arrested for unruliness Vote: You be the ‘Dancing’ judge 'Top Chef': Jill is ostrich-ized and sent home Reality TV Section Front   Add Reality TV headlines to your news reader: