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Wannabe TV Models: Deal Or No Deal?

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By KEITH MORELLI

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 22, 2008

TAMPA - A ballroom at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino was nearly full of young women sitting straight-backed, hair and smiles perfect, most wearing pumps and figure-hugging clothes.

By the end of Thursday, screeners hoped to see 300 of them in their search for the best six candidates for the role of models on "Deal Or No Deal."

For those who don't know, that's a popular television show on NBC that features Howie Mandel, $1 million at stake, and 26 briefcase-toting women. The applicants were vying for a job on a syndicated version of the show.

The first group showed up early, some before 8 a.m. They cheered when a WTTA, Channel 38, camera scanned the crowd. They struck their best modeling poses when photos were snapped, and each answered two questions from a panel of six judges.

Patiently waiting outside next to a slot machine was light middleweight champion and current middleweight contender Winky Wright. His fiancee, 25-year-old Sayquana Barney, was inside.

"I've got to support her," Wright said. "She has always supported me."

Barney seemed more nervous than most of the women.

"I've never done anything like this before," she said.

She told the judges, "I've got kind of a famous boyfriend, and it's good to see him in the spotlight. ... Maybe it's my time."

The judges never asked for her boyfriend's name.

The six women chosen will appear on the syndicated daytime version of "Deal Or No Deal," to be shown on WTTA. Initially, they will do promotional work for the show locally.

An online vote of WTTA viewers and interviews with "Deal Or No Deal" producers will narrow the field of six to one or two who could end up onstage with Mandel.

Michael Howard, vice president of distribution for NBC Universal, is developing the show and said this is a great opportunity for aspiring models.

"It's the 'American Idol' for models," Howard said.

"Photogenic," Howard said, is the main quality. Personality and attitude count, too.

Tori Moses, 22, of Valrico sat in the front row, waiting for her shot at the big time. She took notes and read through an organic chemistry book for people taking the Medical College Admissions Test, or MCAT.

Moses is a recent graduate of the University of Florida and is applying for UF dental school.

"My mom told me about this," Moses said. "I've always watched the show. I think I could add a little spunk to the show."

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

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