ORLANDO, Fla. — On the heels of her gig operating a gigantic dinosaur during the Olympics closing ceremonies Sunday, Marie Osmond was in Orlando Tuesday and Wednesday, hosting that other legendary competition — the Pillsbury Bake-Off.
"The resident Utah dinosaur, that's me, but we had fun doing it," Osmond told the audience comprised of 100 contestants vying for a $1 million grand prize, as well as food-industry executives and reporters covering the event.
Before the contestants went into the ballroom — which was filled with minikitchens to cook up their entries — Osmond told them that one of her jobs was to "loosen you up," and she managed to coax some laughs, despite their pre-Bake-Off jitters.
"I'm sorry I missed the breakfast, but they made me work — I had to plug in all those electric ovens," Osmond said. She also told the audience to look under their tables for stars, and the group eagerly searched, thinking they might win yet another prize. Then she quipped, "If you look under your table and you're seeing stars, you shouldn't be here, because you're way too tired!"
She also warned the contestants that she would be interviewing them on-camera while they cooked, and "I'm a little bit nuts. I'm a little bit country; I'm a little bit nuts."
Osmond joins a list of well-known celebrity emcees that includes Alex Trebek, Willard Scott, Art Linkletter and Pat Boone in its 53-year-history. The Bake-Off show, where Osmond announced the winners during a CBS television broadcast Wednesday, might have looked casual and effortless. But she noted, "We were up until 1 a.m. working on the script, making sure everything goes well."
As a mother with seven children, Osmond said she had turned down "a bunch" of offers in order to be home with her kids. "But when they called me about the Bake-Off — I understand this, I'm so supportive of this, having quick-and-easy recipes. I love to bring my family together over a meal or to share a homemade treat. The quick-and-easy recipes from the Bake-Off contest allow busy families like mine to enjoy good food and good times together."
During the Bake-Off, Osmond and a camera crew walked up and down the aisles full of ranges, talking to contestants as they stirred, sauteed and baked their entries.
"She's just precious," said contestant Nita Crawford, of Troy, Ala., who showed Osmond the laminated newspaper clipping of the 1961 Bake-Off, when Crawford's dessert won a $1,000 prize. The clipping shows Crawford with that year's host — Ronald Reagan, who was at the time a spokesman for contest-sponsor General Electric.
The taping schedule left Osmond with no time for personal interviews, but through her publicist she answered several questions for the Deseret News.
As to being part of two legendary contests within a few days of each other, Osmond said she was thrilled to do the Olympics. and it was exciting to be around contestants who had a great once-in-a lifetime opportunity to "go for the gold."
She added, "That's true of both the Bake-Off and the Olympics, because there's only one $1 million-dollar winner. Most of the people who have entered here are school teachers, homemakers, small business people and stay-at-home dads — people that a million dollars could make a huge difference in their lives. So to see the excitement on their faces is a lot of fun."
Osmond said the best thing about the Bake-Off is that it's now called the "Quick and Easy" Bake-Off. She said she has found that it's important to have meals she can make within 15 minutes to a half-hour, so she can sit down and be together with her husband and family, and give the little kids some time to talk. The less time it takes to prepare the meal, the better it is for her and her family, she explained.
It's no secret that Osmond has had a varied career, from singing to hosting TV shows to Broadway to designing dolls to having her autobiography, "Behind the Smile," become a New York Times best-seller. Osmond said she'll always love doing Broadway musicals and being on stage, but she found new enjoyment with the book tour, speaking one-on-one with people about how her book had affected their lives.
She is currently on a nationwide speaking tour with a program called "Unique Lives and Experiences," aimed mostly at women, as she tells stories of how her life has changed in the years she's been working, and what her hopes are for her future.
Osmond's advice to today's up-and-coming female performers is, "You have to make sure you're in the business for the right reason — make sure it's being passionate about the business, because it is 90 percent business and 10 percent show.
"There's no such thing as an overnight sensation. Those who make it and endure within the performance community are the people who have worked and dedicated themselves to their craft and learned the skills to stay on top. It's not so much about reinventing yourself as exploring the different aspects of the talent you've been given by God."
E-MAIL: vphillips@desnews.com