Martha's Hired!

By Rebecca Winters

If a businessman who bankrupts casinos can instruct would-be moguls in the art of the deal, can't an ex-con tutor them in corporate etiquette? Sure she can, says NBC, which has created a spin-off of its reality series The Apprentice for felon and lifestyle expert MARTHA STEWART. Shares of Stewart's empire, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, rose after the announcement that she would be the host of a program modeled on Donald Trump's original, with its engrossing contestant backbiting and obvious product plugs. Stewart's "own sensibilities and creativity" will dictate the tone of the new show, says NBC. Casting calls are already under way to choose who will compete for a $250,000 job under Stewart. That's right. People are lining up to work for a woman who is widely regarded as one of the most demanding bosses in America. Don't say times aren't tough.