When reality TV fanatics tune in to “I’m a Celebrity — Get Me Out of Here!” they see celebs that have been out of the limelight for quite some time. But the show’s host and Northwestern alumnus John Lehr, Speech ’88, wants the show to jumpstart his career.
The latest in a series of reality television shows, “Celebrity” is an imported hit from Britain. Stars leave posh lifestyles behind for the Australian rainforest and the mercy of viewers. The audience votes to determine the winner of the 15-day series, who will donate money to a charity of their choice.
Lehr, an improvisational actor, said the show is not only different from anything else he’s ever done, it’s also different from anything else he could think of. “The show is so absurd it’s wonderful,” he said.
When he first heard about “Celebrity” from its executive producer and fellow NU alumnus John Saade, Lehr was less than thrilled. “He sent me a tape of the British version, and I thought it was the stupidest thing I’d ever seen,” Lehr said in an e-mail interview.
But he couldn’t let the thrill of shooting live slip by. “The rush is incredible. The sheer fear that you feel as they count down ‘three, two, one’ is so intense, it makes your sphincter tighten to the size of a pinhead. It’s my version of bungee jumping.”
The 37-year-old Overland Park, Kan., native says his work schedule is grueling. “It’s like a marathon,” he said. He wakes up at 3:15 a.m., and after doing voice-overs and attending meetings, he rehearses from 10 a.m. until the live shoot at noon. He gets home about 5 p.m. and is asleep by 7:30. “Glamorous, huh?” he asked.
Though “Celebrity” ended on Wednesday, Lehr is not ready to give up hosting. ABC Family is reviewing the pilot for a potential show he and wife Jennifer Schlosberg shot before leaving for Australia. “Garage Sale” will use Schlosberg’s expertise as an interior designer to revamp homes.
“It’s a makeover show that is very dramatic, and the best part is the insight the show gives you of (the homeowners’) relationship,” Schlosberg said in an e-mail. Lehr is also restarting his sold out autobiographical series of six shows, which runs April 2 through May 14 at the Elephant Theater in Hollywood. He hopes to bring the show to New York.
But his detour down under was worthwhile. “I mean 15 days of live network television experience was not something I should pass up,” he said. nyou
