TV Guide Online: Did you lose because of Omarosa ?
Kwame Jackson: I'm not going to sit here and say, "Oh, Omarosa cost me the competition." I did not get selected because [Trump] thought that Bill was the best man for the job. Period. I think Omarosa provided a great excuse. And like I said, I did not get the reality-TV memo that said you can fire contestants from a show. When that came out I was out of the office. (Laughs)

TVGO: But why didn't you take a harder line with her?
Kwame: I had a massive amount of work to do and I needed all hands on deck. And even if one hand was only operating at 50 percent, I needed that hand. And I really could not get all that stuff done if I had dropped somebody and just put two other people on the job.

TVGO: Looking back, are you able to make sense of what she did?
Kwame: I don't think that's possible. (Laughs) I seriously don't think that's possible. My theory is that some folks are still living in what I call the "Reality-TV Matrix" and they refuse to unplug. I think that for her, [it's all about] the spectacle value and this kind of eccentricity.

TVGO: Why is it that Bill got to choose his teammates first?
Kwame: We flipped a coin and they didn't show that.

TVGO: So, you would have been stuck with Omarosa anyway.
Kwame: That's exactly right, and a lot of people don't get that. I tried to take into account her fragile psyche and say, "Look, if you leave her as the last kid on the playground, she's really gonna feel slighted."

TVGO: It would appear that she falsely accused Ereka of calling her the N-word. Does that disturb you, particularly as an African-American?
Kwame: Here's my stance on that: I wasn't there, so, if it's true, I'm highly disappointed in Ereka. And if it is false, I am highly disappointed in Omarosa.

TVGO: According to the New York tabs, you've been quite a man about town since the show wrapped last fall.
Kwame: I say more power to folks like George Clooney. There are role models out there.

TVGO: Are you single?
Kwame: I am separated from my wife in lieu of divorce, and I am single and dating.

TVGO: Are you going to accept KFC's job offer?
Kwame: At a higher number, yeah. It's a week. I'd do almost anything for a week. I'd be a yoga instructor for a week.

TVGO: You don't think that $25,000 is fair for a week's work?
Kwame: I didn't say it wasn't fair. But business is not about being fair — it's about making money.

TVGO: PETA sent you a letter urging you not to take the job.
Kwame: The problem is, I'm from North Carolina and we eat pork and Krispy Kreme and chicken. That's just the way it is.

TVGO: Any final thoughts?
Kwame: Thanks to everyone for all the support. I didn't realize how many people I had touched. Go to KwameJackson.com to stay in touch with me. And just dream big and go for it. Wait for your pitch in life and swing. And when it comes along, don't be afraid.