Interviews || By: || April 4, 2010 08:00 AM EST

Celebrity Apprentice's Summer Sanders on her Bizarre Cast and the Contents of Nickelodeon Slime

You've been a TV personality and broadcaster on everything from ESPN to MTV to Nickelodeon since the very year you competed in the Olympics, 1992. Was TV a lifelong ambition for you?

It was. For as long as I wanted to swim, I also wanted to do something on TV. My best friend in high school, we used to pretend like we had a TV show and we had this dream of being the next Kate & Allie. Having that kind of a shtick. Do you remember that show?

Jane Curtin and Susan Saint James, of course.

Exactly, exactly. So we'd turn our tape recorder on, and we'd have all these scripts and play these roles. But I always knew I wanted to do something on TV. That's part of the reason I retired from my sport as soon as I did, because I was lucky enough to have opportunities. I just had this desire to continue to do it, and to take all the little jobs that came my way in between Inside Stuff and Nickelodeon and MTV and all of that. There are people that try it -- Olympians that try it -- and don't stick with it. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. But it's possible that they were given the opportunity, and they don't love it. I absolutely love it. I love my work on television. I love getting to know all the people I am privileged enough to interview. I think that's why I've been at it for so long. Even the little kids and their creativity! And wouldn't it be funny to combine the two -- Nickelodeon and ESPN. And sliming everybody.

There are plenty of athletes who should be slimed. I can think of a few.

I can think of... several! There's something so humbling about being slimed. It brings every one down to the same level.

Let's talk Figure It Out, your Nickelodeon game show about kids with special talents and achievements. You must have stellar memories. I will name mine in a moment.

One time we had this girl, a "cricket spitting champion." The [producers] didn't have to make me, but I actually loved trying the talents. And so I spit this cricket -- I spit this thing so far. I mean, everything must've just come together at the right moment to get this cricket to fly out of my mouth the way it did. But I mean, I put her to shame. I felt so bad. And then we had to redo it of course, because I can't beat the kids. But I'll never ever forget that. "Wow, I think I might have found a new real talent. Cricket spitting." But the kids were awesome. I genuinely loved the show.

Ha! Some kids on the show accomplished incredible things -- that one kid who invented underwater walkie-talkies?

They sold that stuff! This kid had his underwater walkie-talkie on sale. I saw it at a store.

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