New show puts celebrities to work
Famous folks do dirty jobs for charity
There’s no doubting Gord Bamford’s dedication to his cowboy persona.
Even when sweating it out in a sweltering Toronto industrial laundry facility, the Lacombe, Alta.-based country star keeps that trademark black Smithbilt proudly perched on his head.
“I don’t have much hair, so I have to do something up there,” explains Bamford, chatting with the Herald about his short-lived stint toiling at Faster Linen Services for the amusement of reality-tv audiences.
The 35-year-old country crooner showcases some of his lesser-known talents on Saturday’s premiere of CMT’S Employee of the Week, facing off against fellow musician Deric Ruttan. It’s sort of a country-western take on Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs or CBC’S Make the Politician Work. Canadian country artists and other celebs compete for charity by trying their hand at physically taxing, or just simply unpleasant, occupations.
Co-produced by Calgary’s Corkscrew Media and hosted by Casey Clarke, the 10-episode series was shot in Ontario and Alberta using a who’s-who of CMT regulars. Not all are country stars. Theo Fleury will be taking on singer-songwriter Victoria Banks at a Calgary driving school for truckers. Celebrity chef Christine Cushing and singer Tara Oram try their hand at auto mechanics. Jason Blaine and Aaron Pritchett compete at Calgary’s Big Rock Brewery, while Jason Mccoy and Doc Walker’s Chris Thorsteinson will be slinging truck-stop grub at Cowtown’s landmark Blackfoot Diner. Country divas Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Beverley Mahood will be dirtying their pedicured hands at a seafood processing plant, while manly country crooners Chad Brownlee and Alberta’s Shane Yellowbird may actually be giving pedicures at Red Deer’s Marvel Beauty School. The Band Perry and Alberta’s High Valley will train at the London Police Services and married couples The Wilsons and Thompson Square try their hand at firefighting.
“It gives fans a better view of who they are as people,” says executive producer Scott Henuset. “I think it just grounds them as well. People that may work as a firefighter can laugh at these celebrity superstars that they sometimes are scared to talk to. Next thing you know, you’re watching them on TV doing a job you do every day and they can’t do it half as good as you can.”
Unlike much reality-tv fare, Employee of the Week downplays confrontational drama in favour of gentle ribbing and family-friendly humour.
Bamford’s laundry stint involves frantic folding, sorting and loading while dodging barbs not only from Clarke and Ruttan, but also laundry owner Mark Halberstadt.
Possessing a somewhat exaggerated view of the levels of luxury afforded Canadian country stars, Halberstadt offers such dandies as “Betcha these guys have counted nothing but their money” and “They probably had a massage before they came in.”
“If they’d have given me a choice from one to 10 of jobs I wanted to do, that probably wouldn’t be one I would pick,” says Bamford about his fast-paced laundry duties.
“You make the best of it and it’s pretty amazing to go in there and see what it’s all about. You really have an appreciation for what they do.”
Growing up on a farm in Lacombe, Bamford was certainly no stranger to manual labour. In fact, he may have proven a little too impressive.
“I said ‘Don’t show your band. Burn this tape. Tell them not to watch,’ ” says Clarke, who has known Bamford for 10 years.
“Once they see those guys work that hard they’ll be like ‘I’m not humping gear. Bamford, you can take two of those amps easy.’ ”