On June 26, TV host Claudia Jordan ran into Rickey Smiley at his Uptown Magazine cover issue party in New York City. Smiley off the cuff invited her to come down to Atlanta and sit in on the show. Jordan had no idea he was quietly auditioning her to replace Ebony Steele, who was doing "Dish Nation" TV work in Los Angeles at the time.
"I sat in for two days, came back for a third," she said in an exclusive interview after her second day on the show this past Wednesday at Radio One's Atlanta headquarters in downtown Atlanta. Smiley soon offered her a job.
There were plenty of immediate upsides for Jordan. This was an opportunity that would provide her a regular platform to show off her humor before a sizable audience. Smiley's popular syndicated radio show is on 60 radio stations nationwide, including Dallas, Chicago, Baltimore, Miami and Pittsburgh.
She had a radio background, having hosted a show for four years on SiriusXM's The Foxxhole comedy channel run by Jamie Foxx. "I was with a seasoned comedian, an Oscar winner," she said. "Being in a room with comedians means you cannot be caught slipping."
(UPDATE August 6: "Real Housewives of Atlanta" cast member Porsha Williams was named permanent host on the syndicated "Dish Nation" show, which features members of Smiley's radio team. Jordan for now will not be on that show.)
Jordan hesitated for a moment only because she had just moved to New York City ten months ago after 17 years in L.A.. "I needed a change of scenery," said the former Miss Rhode Island. "I had gotten a little complacent. I needed to get the hunger back." She felt isolated in L.A. and more connected with people in New York,. She had settled into a lovely apartment in Midtown Manhattan she is still loathe to give up. But Atlanta is hardly chopped liver. She had never lived here but figured it was not a bad place to be. (She hopes to keep her New York apartment despite the hefty rent.)
She arrived in Atlanta Monday and jumped right onto the show Tuesday. Jordan admits it will take some time to get used to the rhythms of Smiley's team, which includes Headkrack, Special K and Gary With Da Tea. "I don't know the inside jokes yet," she said. "I just want people listening to give me a chance." Smiley has never explained why he let Ebony go.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
"I know I'm replacement someone who is irreplaceable." Jordan said. "It's awkward. Some people will hate you because you're not her." She then added: "I didn't take anything from her. She'll have an amazing career. People love her. I'm a fan. I've reached out to her. Would love to sit down and have lunch with her. She's great at what she does."
Jordan said she just wants to "do the job justice. And get better at it. Learn the beats, the inside jokes. I want to go and show what I can do. I have a very dry sarcastic sense of humor that may sound condescending and rude. If you think I'm being serious, you don't really know me. I'm borderline nice in real life. It's a fun character to play."
She is grateful to Smiley for giving her this chance: "He's sticking his neck out for me. I don't want him to regret it. I want him to feel good. If I do my job and am funny, people will see why I'm here. He knew me from the Foxxhole. He's seen me in my element."
Other bits I picked up from Jordan:
- She's an insomniac. She lives on four or five hours of sleep a night. This means she won't need to go to sleep at 8 or 9 p.m. like a lot of morning hosts. Her goal is to get to bed by 11 p.m.
- She's single, guys! "Whoever dates me will have to go to early dinners and lunches. Going out is not a priority for me right now. I want to be ready for the show every day." Nonetheless, she said despite being burned by guys over the years, "I'm a hopeless romantic. I give people a 100 percent shot at trust and begin deducting points. If it drops below 80 percent, they're out." At age 41, she has learned to be okay with being single. "Nobody has made me mad lately because I don't have a boyfriend. No one has disappointed me!"
- She has a "Love and Hip Hop Atlanta" connection: Her former roommate many years ago in Los Angeles? Mimi Faust, now known for her infamous sex tape. She believes Mimi's boyfriend Nikko Smith somehow talked her into it. "She's always the type to turn lemons into lemonade and make the best of things," Jordan said. "I'm still her friend. I'm not going to jump ship."
- She's out of the hotel! Not having VH1 and Bravo in her hotel room has been a problem, she said. She can't keep up with her shows, including (of course) "Love and Hip Hop Atlanta." So she moved as quickly as she could to procure an apartment here: "I found a beautiful 2 bedroom, 2.5 half bath in a high rise. Floor to ceiling windows! Love it!" she texted me Friday.
- Life after two stints on "Celebrity Apprentice" : "My career was not hot at all when I joined 'Celebrity Apprentice" [in 2009.] It's been a total blessing. I've been able to work nonstop."
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
- The ever evil Omarosa. She and Omarosa were friends going into the show last year. Not so much after "Celebrity Apprentice: All Stars," where she was eliminated fourth. She got reamed by many on social media for not bringing Omarosa into the boardroom but she said she deliberately avoided what she thought would have been "World War 3." "I'm not going to pimp myself out to have one good episode trend for 20 minutes," she said. She'd rather protect her reputation. "That was the greatest test for me on reality television," she said. "I left my head held high. After the show, AT&T gave me that Buzz show. I made the right decision. I may have gotten a temporary loss but I got more positive than negative."
- She's a Patriots fan. Growing up in Rhode Island, she loved the New England Patriots. Given that most of the Smiley show listeners are from the South, she'll have to battle that.
- She's a commentator on HLN. She has been regularly showing on Dr. Drew's show on HLN, which conveniently is based two blocks from Smiley's studios. "I'm very well rounded with a lot of life experience," she said.
- She has mad respect for Rickey Smiley. "He doesn't talk over people's heads. I feel like he's every man's man. He's relatable. He doesn't talk down to this audience. He lives a simple life. He keeps it simple. He knows his roots."
On the radio
"The Rickey Smiley Morning Show," 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., Monday-Friday on 60 stations nationwide including Hot 107.9 (WHTA-FM) in Atlanta, where the show is based.
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