Vault: She was on "Dancing With The Stars" for charity

Summary

---

The Bert Show: Vault – She was on "Dancing With The Stars" for Charity

Episode Date: August 5, 2026
Main Participant: Wendy (Charity Event Participant)
Key Segment: Wendy's experience on a "Dancing With the Stars" style charity event
Special Appearance: The Real Housewives of Atlanta production and cast

---

Episode Overview

This electrifying segment from The Bert Show explores Wendy’s participation in the "Dancing Stars of Atlanta" charity event, a local version of "Dancing With The Stars" benefitting Alzheimer’s research. The episode dives into Wendy’s preparation, the event night, fundraising results, and a behind-the-scenes look at reality TV production, with a special focus on how heavily produced reality television is—highlighting the presence of the Real Housewives of Atlanta at the event.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Charity Event Experience

• Event Details:
  • Wendy participated in the "Dancing Stars of Atlanta," a charity dance competition in support of Alzheimer's research.
  • The event was staged just like the televised "Dancing With the Stars," featuring a professionally set dance floor, judges, an audience, and ten local celebrities.
• Pre-Event Nerves:
  • Wendy discusses the anxiety leading up to the event and how it affected her ability to eat:

    “I didn't eat very much yesterday at all. I had maybe like a cracker because I was too nervous.” (Wendy, 02:57)

• Fundraising Achievement:
  • Wendy successfully raised about $4,000 for Alzheimer’s.

    “It kept fundraising. So I think I got to about four grand.” (Wendy, 03:33)

• Performance Goal:
  • Her main goal was not to finish last:

    “The goal going into the weekend was to not come in last place… I did not come in last!” (Wendy, 03:41)

  • Wendy finished 8th out of 10.

2. Costume and Show Details

• Costume Experience:
  • Wendy wore a custom, glamorous dress:

    “The dress was awesome. I'll have to post pictures on the website. The dress was just phenomenal. It's a $3,000 dress.” (Wendy, 02:29)

• Event Atmosphere:
  • The evening mimicked the real "Dancing With the Stars" setup, including judges and stage lighting, which amped up the pressure.

3. The Real Housewives of Atlanta Production Insights

• Reality TV Filming:

  • "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" was filming at the event, offering an insider peak at the mechanics of reality TV.
  • Wendy was struck by the sheer size and precision of the production crew:

    “There was another room where they're watching five different cameras and all of them are on the different women of the show.” (Wendy, 03:57)

• Scripted Reality Breakdown:

  • Wendy exposed how moments are staged and re-shot, even those meant to look spontaneous:

    “This thing is ridiculously scripted. I was just in awe of the production... literally like a triage.” (Wendy, 03:57)
    “They had to recut. Well, then they would sit down... had to reset down and reshoot, like, just a conversation that they were having. So they had to do it twice instead of using the initial conversation.” (Wendy, 06:27)

• Producer Direction:

  • Even judge reveals, entrances, and “real reactions” are orchestrated, including choreographed hugs and celebratory scenes.

    “They were having one of the judges come get her from the bathroom... cuing him to go into the bathroom to get Charay.” (Wendy, 05:05)
    “They tell you to stand and where they tell you to sit and who to sit next to and who to talk to and when you're going to talk to this person next.” (Wendy, 06:08)

• Effect on Participants:

  • The participants and hosts discuss how the artificiality affects their comfort:

    “The contradiction really of the whole thing is that you're not supposed to be an actor, so you're supposed to be acting like yourself.” (Interviewer 2, 05:59) “You really do have to sort of look at it like that. Okay, so let's say you were at my house on Saturday night, and I've got reality TV show cameras there... You never know.” (Interviewer 2, 09:37)

4. Reflections on Reality TV Involvement

• Scheduling Demands:
  • Participation in reality TV is described as a “second job,” with confessional interviews and required on-camera moments adding to the workload:

    “It's like an additional job. Like an additional job where you're having, you know. Oh, well, there's that scene. Okay, cut that scene again.” (Interviewer 3, 08:00)
    “Not only will you be on camera, but... you have to do those talk overs also to where you're watching the TV show and you're commenting on it.” (Interviewer 2, 08:22)

• Production Uncertainty:
  • Even after filming, cast members are left unsure of how footage will be used or when (or if) a show will go to air.

    “I still have no idea where it is in production.” (Interviewer 2, 08:49)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Event Night Nerves:

  “I didn't eat very much yesterday at all. I had maybe like a cracker because I was too nervous.” (Wendy, 02:57)

• On Fundraising:

  “It kept fundraising. So I think I got to about four grand.” (Wendy, 03:33)

• On Reality TV’s Reality:

  “This thing is ridiculously scripted. I was just in awe of the production.” (Wendy, 03:57)

• Orchestrated Spontaneity:

  “They were having one of the judges come get her from the bathroom... cuing him to go into the bathroom to get Charay.” (Wendy, 05:05)

• The Irony of Reality TV:

  “The contradiction really of the whole thing is that you're not supposed to be an actor, so you're supposed to be acting like yourself.” (Interviewer 2, 05:59)

• On Scheduling for Reality TV:

  “It's like an additional job... you're not just living your life. You're shooting. It's like an additional job.” (Interviewer 3, 08:00)

---

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [01:35] – Wendy sets the scene of the event and her nerves.
• [02:29] – Wendy discusses her custom dress ($3,000!).
• [03:12] – Real Housewives of Atlanta introduces a new level of production at the event.
• [03:33] – Fundraising milestone: $4,000 raised.
• [03:57] – Ten celebrities participated in the event.
• [04:34] – Description of Real Housewives' filming and backstage drama.
• [05:05] – Detailed account of scene-staging for reality TV.
• [06:08] – Wendy reveals how even conversations and scenes are orchestrated and redone.
• [08:00] – Discussion on the workload and logistics of reality TV production.
• [08:49] – Reflections on the uncertainty of reality TV editing and broadcast.
• [10:14] – Wendy hopes to share her dance video with fans.

---

Summary & Takeaway

This light-hearted yet eye-opening episode navigates both the excitement and stresses of dancing for charity and the complex realities of reality TV production. Wendy’s journey from nerve-wracked participant to successful fundraiser is both relatable and uplifting, while her candid look at how “real” reality TV actually is provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes peek. The episode is laced with humor, camaraderie, and a dose of showbiz skepticism, making it a must-listen for fans of reality competitions, morning radio, and those curious about what really goes on when the cameras are rolling.

---

Transcript

[Ryan Seacrest]

Ryan Seacrest here. Every great barbecue has one secret ingredient. Patience. You do a little, then you wait a little. And while your dinner does its thing, you got a few minutes to yourself, right? Well, kick back with a little Chumba Casino. A flip and a spin. Who knows, maybe even a login bonus. It is the perfect recipe. Chumba Casino. Always good to have you back.

[Chumba Casino Announcer]

No purchase necessary. BMW Group void. We're prohibited by law. CTs and Cs 21, sponsored by Chumpa Casino.

[Rakuten Advertiser]

Don't you wish everything was more rewarding with Rakuten? Almost everything is. You can earn cash back on those new shoes you've been wanting. You can save on the next trip you book. You can cash in on groceries. Just join. Shop your favorite brands and save Target, Instacart, Expedia, Macy's, Sephora, cvs. The list is long. Save online, in store and at over 22,000 restaurants.

[Interviewer 1]

And.

[Rakuten Advertiser]

And when it's time to redeem those rewards, get your money exactly how you want it. Choose PayPal, check, Bilt points, or cash out with gift cards. Eligible American Express card members can choose to earn membership rewards points instead of cash back. Terms and conditions apply. So go ahead, take a trip, fill a cart, order dessert. Rakuten is a world of rewards. Join today for free. Go to rakuten.com or get the app that's r a k u t e

[Interviewer 2]

n. It's the virtual. So let's talk about Wendy's weekend here.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

This is.

[Interviewer 2]

This is a big weekend right here. She's been planning this thing for weeks now.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

Yeah, last night was the big charity vans dancing stars of Atlanta, which is the whole Dancing with the Stars benefit. But it all went to Alzheimer's last night, and the event was spectacular. It was like Dancing with the Stars, except they had all these tables set up around the dance floor. So people were eating before the show, and it was just a good time. There's lights. The stage was said. They had the panel of judges, like, in the front. So they were seated like normally on Dancing with the Stars. So it was to the t exactly like the show, which made me a little bit nervous.

[Interviewer 2]

Sure it is. I mean, now it's a reality here. I mean, this is really gonna happen.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

And remember when I did the challenge earlier, doing the Kate Gosselin jive earlier, like, maybe like a month and a half ago? This was above and beyond that. Like, this was probably more to the real deal. And I finally got to experience the pressure that all the contestants go through on a daily basis.

[Interviewer 3]

And you were wearing that gorgeous, like, tailor made outfit for you. Right.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

The dress was awesome. I'll have to post pictures on the website. The dress was just phenomenal. It's a $3,000 dress. I found out those dresses are expensive.

[Interviewer 3]

Unbelievable.

[Interviewer 2]

This is the kind of thing that. Yeah, of course.

[Interviewer 1]

So stressed out. Everything I drank, everything I ate, I would just be like, you'd have to have a bib on at all times.

[Interviewer 2]

This is the kind of thing that I think the stress of it leading up to it would have been more for me than the actual event itself. It was, you know, thinking about it all the time. Yeah.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

Yeah. I didn't eat very much yesterday at all. I had maybe like a cracker because I was too nervous.

[Interviewer 2]

Sure, man.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

About the event. So, I mean, it was amazing last night, but I mean, with part of the event was the Real Housewives of Atlanta and they were filming last night.

[Interviewer 2]

Wendy was part of this, this event for Alzheimer's and they took some of the celebrities here in Atlanta and they all danced against each other. And it all went down last night.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

It did.

[Interviewer 2]

And she has been thinking about this now for days and weeks.

[Interviewer 1]

And first, congratulations to the money you raised.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

Oh, thank you.

[Interviewer 1]

Cuz. I saw over the weekend that. That little thermometer thing finally go up.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

It kept fundraising. So I think I got to about four grand.

[Interviewer 3]

Wow, that's incredible.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

So it was awesome.

[Interviewer 3]

That's awesome.

[Interviewer 2]

The goal going into the weekend was to not come in last place.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

Was not to come in last place. I did not come in last. Got a girl

[Interviewer 3]

fundraising.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

I did not come in last.

[Interviewer 2]

She's number eight. Yes.

[Interviewer 3]

How many celebrities did participate?

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

There were 10 of us.

[Interviewer 3]

10. Okay. That's a big group.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

Yeah. So there was a whole intermission. But the real highlight was that the Housewives were filming. The Real Housewives of Atlanta were filming last night. And this is their third season, so they're in the midst of it. But this thing is ridiculously scripted. I was just in awe of the production and how many people were around all these women just to make sure everything was going correctly. Like, I'm talking like it was like a triage. Like there was another room where they're watching five different cameras and all of them are on the different women of the show. So now there's. I think there's gonna be seven of them.

[Interviewer 2]

Oh, really?

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

So I think there's two new cast members because I didn't recognize two of the girls, but they were obviously part of the thing. But when. Cause Sheree was in the show. Last night, she was one of the local celebrities. So when she would go around the cameras following her, so she ended up in the bathroom. And so they're having this big conversation with all her girlfriends in the bathroom as she's getting ready to go on and perform. And this was an hour before it even started. So they're filming scenes like she was going on, like, next, like, talking to her friends and had.

[Interviewer 3]

Even though it was hours before she

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

was gonna go on.

[Interviewer 3]

That's interesting.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

And they were having one of the judges come get her from the bathroom. So they're like, go, go, go. You gotta go into the bathroom now. He's like, when do I like cuing him to go into the bathroom to get Charay.

[Interviewer 2]

Oh, really?

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

To come out and do her performance.

[Interviewer 2]

So the producers are setting. This

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

scene is set up, like, every single scene. Like when Charay comes out from dancing. When she gets done performing, she's going to be greeted with all her friends. So they're like, we need to have all our friends backstage ready to go so they can greet her and tell her what a great job she did.

[Interviewer 3]

And to make sure they capture the spontaneity of it.

[Interviewer 2]

All.

[Interviewer 1]

Right.

[Interviewer 2]

It's a lot of planning that goes into a spontaneous reality TV show.

[Interviewer 3]

Yeah.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

Real reactions, the real genuine hugs and conversations. Like, even, like hugging like a friend seemed like over the top. Like, oh, you did so great. It was. I mean, it was like slow motion.

[Interviewer 3]

These regular people aren't actors.

[Interviewer 2]

No.

[Interviewer 3]

And when you ask them to act, it is apparent that they're acting to me, anyway.

[Interviewer 2]

Well, that's the irony of the whole thing. The contradiction really of the whole thing is that you're not supposed to be an actor, so you're supposed to be acting like yourself.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

Right, Right.

[Interviewer 3]

But you don't.

[Interviewer 2]

But you don't.

[Bubba Wallace]

Right.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

Yeah, you don't. But it's just how it's all planned and how many people are really behind it is insane. Where they tell you to stand and where they tell you to sit and who to sit next to and who to talk to and when you're going to talk to this person next or what are you going to be doing over in this corner? So it is really all set up.

[Interviewer 2]

And didn't you say you had, like, you saw people, like, recutting lines and stuff last week?

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

They had to recut. Well, then they would sit down. Different people who are around, like Shiree, during rehearsal over the weekend, had to reset down and reshoot, like, just a conversation that they were having. So they had to do it twice instead of using the initial conversation. Does that make any sense? So a conversation that they had about Sheree before, obviously that wasn't what they wanted, so they had to sit down and redo it.

[Interviewer 2]

When I was. When the producers of that reality TV show came in here for Boys Club atl, they had me recut a whole bunch of things in studio. Also, that they would ask me questions, and then I would give them their answers. And he would say to me, okay, if you could just stress this part of it again more than the other part. So, yeah.

[Interviewer 1]

And the question I had earlier when Wendy kind of teased about this, you know, because you talk about how Bert is, you know, in the running for Boys Club atl, does it make you feel better or less comfortable with it, knowing that they kind of script it and kind of set these scenes up instead of it being spontaneous, you know, like that you. That they're following the cameras or the cameras are following you all the time, and you're not sure what they're going to use, as opposed to kind of knowing what they're going to use. Because they set all this up.

[Interviewer 2]

Right. I think I'm probably more insecure about it.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay.

[Interviewer 2]

I guess secure in one way, in that I guess they're gonna. The final product they want to be right. So they'll have you recut things. I don't think they're asking you to recut things that didn't happen. They're just asking you to say things that perhaps would make better TV if you recut it a second time.

[Interviewer 1]

Which makes me think that I would know what to expect when the show came on.

[Interviewer 3]

To me, it would stress me out on scheduling. I'd be like, God, this is gonna take so long. Cause you're not just living your life. You're shooting. It's like an additional job. Like an additional job where you're having, you know. Oh, well, there's that scene. Okay, cut that scene again. Okay, cut that. You know, it's not like cameras are just following you, living your life. You have to, like, schedule out these times to shoot the show. Does that make sense?

[Interviewer 2]

Yeah. And that's what Kim Zolciak. That was the advice that she gave me, too. She's like, this literally is a second job. Not only will you be on camera, but you have all sorts of scheduling problems there. But then you have to come back to a studio and you have to do those talk overs also to where you're watching the TV show and you're commenting on it. And they put that in the show as well. So that's another part of it that

[Interviewer 3]

you got to do those confessional shots, too, where they're just, like, on one person and talking about what's happening.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, yeah.

[Interviewer 2]

It's the question that I get more than anything else is what's going on with that reality TV show? And I. These guys aren't buying it, but I promise you, I still have no idea where it is in production. One day, all five or six of us dudes sat down at a restaurant here in Buckhead, and. And the camera shot all of us. And everybody seemed real happy about it. And then it just sort of went away. Now, I have heard through the grapevine that it's being pitched to Bravo and to E. Maybe also, but nobody has approached me. No one's officially asked me still to be in it. I have no idea where it is in production.

[Interviewer 1]

I mean, we were at Stacy's birthday party Saturday night, and there was no cameras.

[Interviewer 2]

Imagine that.

[Interviewer 1]

So there should have been.

[Interviewer 2]

No, there shouldn't have.

[Interviewer 3]

That would have made for some great tv. A few of those moments would have

[Interviewer 1]

been captured, for sure.

[Interviewer 2]

You really do have to sort of look at it like that. Okay, so let's say you were at my house on Saturday night, and I've got reality TV show cameras there. Where could they have followed you? There were probably some places they weren't allowed to go also. But what would they have picked on? Interactions between two couples or two people in a couple that might have been having a connection or maybe just talking closely to each other because the band was loud. You never know.

[Interviewer 3]

Or a couple arguing or fighting. Or all the people getting pushed in the pool in their white clothes.

[Interviewer 2]

So it could have gone a lot of ways. A lot of ways. All right, so Wendy's video of her dancing, hopefully later on today.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

Hopefully?

[Interviewer 2]

Is that what we're looking at?

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

Yeah, we'll see if that I can get my hands on the one from last night. If not, I'll definitely have the one from a rehearsal practice on Friday night.

[Interviewer 2]

Okay.

[Interviewer 1]

Congratulations.

[Interviewer 2]

Yeah, congratulations. That's a really big feat for you right there.

[Wendy (Charity Event Participant)]

It was very fun.

[Interviewer 1]

Awesome.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Here Bird show.

[Bubba Wallace]

Hey, it's Bubba Wallace from 2311 Racing. You know what it feels like forever sitting on a plane, waiting for takeoff. Good thing I've got Jumba Casino with daily boost and social casino games on tap. This is the kind of fun that makes time fly. Why not turbocharge your downtime play [e-mail]?

[Chumba Casino Announcer]

let's Chumba sponsored by Chumba Casino. No purchase necessary. VGW Group voidware prohibited by law. 21/ Terms and Conditions apply.