Barbara Corcoran Reveals She Was Almost Fired From 'Shark Tank' Before Filming Even Began: ' I Do My Best Work When My Back Is Against the Wall' The real estate mogul took to Instagram to share what really went down when she was cast for the show.
By Emily Rella
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Barbara Corcoran has been wheeling deals on "Shark Tank" since the show premiered in 2009.
But what many don't know is that Corcoran was almost fired from the ABC hit before she even stepped foot in front of the cameras.
The real estate mogul took to Instagram this week to share with viewers the wild story of how she really earned that coveted seat.
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Corcoran said that she received a call from someone who said they worked for producer Mark Burnett and that they were casting for a new show called "Shark Tank."
Joking that she thought the show was about fishing, Corcoran said she "was hooked" once she found out the premise and immediately signed her contract without even reading it, she said. She then hopped over to the iconic store Bergdorf Goodman to buy expensive luggage to get in the mindset of someone rich and famous.
But then, the unexpected happened.
"The day before I was supposed to leave for LA, that same lady called me to tell me they had changed their mind and were giving the lone female seat to another woman," Corcoran explained.
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So what did Corcoran do?
She sat down and wrote an email to Mark Burnett himself, imploring him to invite both women to the studio to compete for the role.
"Mark all the good stuff happened in my life on the heels of rejection, you know I do my best work when my back is against the wall," she penned to the producer. "I consider your rejection to be a lucky charm, and I booked my flight and hope to be on that plane."
Corcoran then flew out to LA and won the seat, where she's remained for the past 14 years.
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"The lesson is always the same," she said. "All the good stuff happens after you get back up."
Corcoran's net worth is estimated to be around $100 million.