Jean Kittson terrified, sobbing & nightmares: “It’s the hardest television I’ve ever done.”

She’s excited but nervous for Celebrity Apprentice which is completely understandable given comedienne Jean Kittson has never participated in a Reality TV show before.

Kittson has also spent plenty of time watching Reality shows, especially during lockdowns.

“That’s how I bonded with my daughters, watching The Bachelor, Married at First Sight and we always watch MasterChef. We always watch Survivor, I’m a Celebrity,” she recalls.

“I’ve seen a lot of Reality, but I didn’t realise how complex it was. I mean, it’s bigger than film shoots. Reality TV has about 100 crew. There’s so much time and effort and effort and resources put into these shows. I have a newfound respect for them.

“It’s the hardest television I’ve ever done.”

“That’s something I’d really like to do.”

Kittson, who rose to prominence through 1990s comedies The Big Gig and Let the Blood Run Free, has also been a fan of  The Apprentice (US), mostly for the challenges, but spent time watching Celebrity Apprentice ahead of filming.

“You learn a lot about yourself, about business, about managing these challenges. I thought ,’That’s something I’d really like to do.’ Because I’m not good at sleeping in the jungle or eating spiders and I can’t cook,” she explains.

“I just thought it’d be fun. And also, we filmed it last year. After two years of COVID all my live gigs were cancelled …suddenly I got an opportunity to work in a team. Because I’m a lone worker, usually. Doing comedy we all often work by ourselves.

“Celebrity Apprentice is all teamwork, while you’re trying to get rid of each other at the same!”

Joining her this season are Amy Shark, Darren McMullen, Bronte Campbell, Jodi Gordon, Gamble Breaux, Turia Pitt, Vince Colosimo, ‘Carla from Bankstown,’ Samantha Jade, Will and Woody, Benji Marshall, Beck Zemek, Jarrod Scott, Ronnie Caceres and Eloni Vunakece.

“I hadn’t met anyone before. There was no-one I knew.”

“I hadn’t met anyone before. There was no-one I knew. All the sports people I would never have had a chance to work with. It was fantastic. I loved that. To see how sports people work is just an eye-opener compared to how entertainment people work. Sports people are so goal driven, and so self disciplined. Bronte and Turia and, Eloni and Benji… they’re really great to watch work,” Kittson continues.

“Straight away, the people who were lovely to me in the first cocktail party, were Sammy, Gamble was really welcoming. I got on so well with Sammy and Carla from Bankstown and Bronte and I loved Eloni from the start.

“Vince Colosimo, of course, what a guy. Benji Marshall, another great guy. Darren McMullen. I loved everybody!”

But filming was no pushover, as teams endured long shoots during COVID lockdown, in the race to raise $100,000 for their chosen charity.

“I loved it / hated it! It was terrifying. I would often be sobbing”

“I loved it / hated it! It was terrifying. I would often be sobbing. So there was pleasure and pain. I had nightmares about it. Literally, I’d wake up thinking I was doing a task challenge. But it was really exciting, hilarious, startling -all those things you want from a show!” she laughs.

“There was slapstick, mucking around and forgetting that everything was on film and that everything you say is being recorded!

“I wasn’t dignified. I’m a comedienne, I lost my dignity years ago, before my virginity!”

Her chosen charity is Sydney-based Taldumande Youth Services.

“Taldumande is an organisation that hasn’t got a big profile, but it does an enormous amount of work for young people who find themselves in crisis. Young people who are homeless, young people who, for whatever reason, have found themselves without homes, in crisis, under stress or are on the wrong side of the law,” she explains.

“Taldumande gives them a home education, health care, mental health services, it does everything that they can to get these kids back on track and give them hope.”

But Kittson is also realistic about the fact that a lot of her success lays in Reality TV post-production and whether producers choose to portray her as heroine or villainess.

“I understood how it’s edited and the risk I was taking with my reputation.”

“That’s completely out of my hands. I am terrified and I understood that before I went into it. I understood how it’s edited and the risk I was taking with my reputation. We’ll just have to wait and see. It was a great experience. I have no regrets. And I’m hoping that by the time I see it put together I will still have no regrets.”

Kittson is even complimentary about boardroom boss Lord Alan Sugar.

“I quite liked him. We’re of the same vintage. Like I got him. He’s old school funny but terrifying because he could just turn around and be dismissive so easily. You can just be fired and you can’t go to arbitration or anything.”

She adds, “There’s no HR in Celebrity Apprentice!”

Celebrity Apprentice screens Sunday – Wednesday on Nine.