The Pretenders is a very successful and popular TV series. in each program there is a contestant who has just four weeks to lean to do a completely new job. At the end of the month the contestant has to take a "test" where he or she has to do the new job together with three other real professionals. A panel of three judges has to decide which of four people is pretending to be a professional. Sometime they can tell who pretending, but sometimes they can't!
Jessica Winters is is a 26-year-old librarian. She studied English Literature at a university before getting a job at her local library. She didn't know it, but two of her friends sent her name to the TV company to take part in The Pretenders."When someone from the program called me, I though it was a joke," said Jessica."First,I said no,but they asked me to think about it. In the end my friends and family persuaded me to say yes."
Jessica had four weeks to turn from a quiet,shy,librarian into a confident TV reporter. At the end of the month,she had to take her final test. This was a live TV interview with the secretary of education. She had to try to make the judges think that she really was a professional reporter.
An experienced political journalist,Adam Bowles,and politician Sally Lynch had the job of transforming Jessica. When they first met her, they were not very optimistic."Jessica needs to be a lot tougher. She's too sweet and shy," said Adam. "Politicians will eat her alive." They had just 28 day to teach her to be a reporter...
Jessica had to spend the month in Washington. She was completely isolated from her family and frienda-she could only talk to them on the phone. The training was very hard work. she had to had to learn how to interview people,how look more confident,how to speak clearly. She also had to learn about the world of politics."I'm feeling really nervous," said Jessica. "I'm terrified of being on TV. Also I've never been interested in politics-I don't know anything about it. I didn't even vote in the last election."
