Bethenny Frankel Reveals Reality Shows She Says She Turned Down — And Why

Bethenny Frankel is spilling the tea on which reality TV shows she turned down — and why they weren’t “the right fit” for her brand.

Frankel, 54, revealed via an Instagram video on Tuesday, September 9, that Celebrity Apprentice was one of the first shows she said “no” to as she was getting her footing in the entrepreneurial space.

“Years ago, in the beginning I was asked to do it, and I turned it down because I had been on the Martha Stewart Apprentice,” she explained. “Which was the normal person, not celebrity apprentice. And I crushed it.”

The Apprentice: Martha Stewart aired in 2005, following various contestants as they competed for a job under the lifestyle guru Martha Stewart. Dawna Stone won the season, but Frankel made it to the finale.

Frankel, who created the Skinnygirl brand, said on Tuesday that because she’d “also built a business” before being offered a role on Celebrity Apprentice, she didn’t want to compete.

“I just felt it would be strange to be going in to compete when I had already proven myself in the entrepreneurial space,” she told her social media followers.

Frankel also revealed that Dancing With the Stars has been trying to recruit her as a contestant “since the very beginning of my career, like, well over a decade ago.”

She claimed that “multiple times” she’s been asked to compete on the dance series. “I just didn’t think it was the right fit,” Frankel said.

While the Real Housewives of New York City alum noted that “Housewives started to do it” in time, “It didn’t feel like the right fit for me.”

Frankel added, “Also, I didn’t want to leave my daughter. It just wasn’t the right fit.” (Frankel shares daughter Bryn, 15, with ex-husband Jason Hoppy.)

When it comes to The Masked Singer, Frankel said the music-based competition nearly lured her in.

“I was going to do it because I do like to sing,” she recalled. “But I just didn’t think that me being in a mask for the entire competition, if I went that far, was the right fit for me either.”

Looking back at all the shows she allegedly turned down, Frankel said she has no regrets.

“I’m very intentional and strategic about every single decision that I make. I take pride in that,” she said. “I think that’s really important in business and in personal [decisions] to be very intentional and not just do something because it sounds like a good idea. It has to actually be a good idea.”

While Frankel hasn’t said “yes” to every reality TV venture, she did gain fame starring on RHONY from 2008 to 2019. She was part of the original cast when the series debuted in 2008, but took a break from seasons 4 through 6. Frankel returned in season 7 and stayed on the series until the end of season 11.

Frankel has also made cameos on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and starred on Bethenny Ever After from 2010 to 2012. She then hosted her own show, Bethenny, from 2012 to 2014.