Vanessa Huxtable is all grown up – and she’s cleaning house!
Tempestt Bledsoe has a new gig hosting The Style Network’s home transformation reality hit, “Clean House” (taking over from Niecy Nash), and the TV icon says the job came naturally.
“[‘Clean House’ producers] had no idea that I’m really a neat freak,” Tempestt told AccessHollywood.com’s Laura “Dish of Salt” Saltman in an on–set interview on Thursday. “I hate clutter!”
Tempestt, who got her start playing Vanessa Huxtable on NBC’s “The Cosby Show” from 1984 -1992, said she is thrilled to be a part of the reality show, which helps ordinary families organize their overly cluttered – and sometimes unlivable – homes.
“I like transformative TV,” Tempestt told Laura. “This is a show where people are really helped and transformed each and every week and you can feel good about watching it…
“Every time I’ve talked to a family member that says, ‘You’ve really helped me, you’ve changed my life… You can’t replace that,” she added.
In addition to her acting/hosting talents, Tempestt has a penchant for business as well –the 37-year-old actress managed to earn a degree in finance from NYU’s prestigious Stern School of Business while filming “The Cosby Show.”
“I never intended to stop [acting],” Tempestt told Laura of her decision to attend college. “I really wanted to just experience something different that was going to be of real use to me and take me into a whole other realm.
“Dr. [Bill] Cosby was so wonderful to me to allow me to go to school and work on the show at the same time,” she continued. “They made a lot of allowances in the schedule for that to happen but, of course, school was always paramount to him. So, once I expressed a desire to do that, it was done.”
While Tempestt may be following in former “Clean House” host Niecy Nash’s footsteps, she’s hesitant to follow the comedienne’s path towards competing on “Dancing with the Stars.”
“[‘Dancing with the Stars’] is terrifying to me — absolutely terrifying!” Tempestt exclaimed. “I don’t know how anyone finds the courage to do that. They go on in front of national television live and have to – oh my goodness!
“…I don’t know [if I would do the show],” she added. “That would be very nerve-wracking for me.”
Catch up with Tempestt on “Clean House” – Wednesdays at 10 PM on The Style Network.
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