A few weeks ago it was announced that Chicago would have its own version of Bravo’s insanely popular franchise Real Housewives. Speculation ran rampant about who would star in the bitch-fest of a TV show. Incredibly wealthy (but maybe too old) socialite Candace Jordan? Beautiful boutique-to-the-celebs owner Trevian Kutti? Or my personal pick, the consummately coiffed gallerist Carrie Secrist? Then a wrench in the plans: Come to find out, it’s not actually a Bravo TV show. In fact, unless an interested cable network rears its head soon, it might not be a TV show at all. What’s a glamorous, rich, bitchy…ahem, candid gal to do with the time she spent readying herself for a casting call? Well ladies, there’s a new show in town. And, if you’re a Vicki or a Bethany Frankel type, this one’s for you: Kelly Ripa and hubby Mark Consuelos’ Milojo Productions is holding a casting call at the Mag Mile Marriot, 165 E Ontario St, tomorrow and Friday 26. The production company is looking for a “female entrepreneur” to star alongside Kelly in an Apprentice meets Real Housewives reality show on TLC. And, well, the rest of the press release is just too priceless to summarize. Read on…

“Kelly Ripa will appear in each episode and will select a product invented by a group of struggling female entrepreneurs who will each compete for the chance to turn their innovative idea into a lucrative business.  HSN [Home Shopping Network], TLC and Milojo will be discovering the most promising women in Chicago for this life-changing opportunity. Each budding business woman selected will have the chance to prove that they have what it takes to get their very own creations sold on HSN - every entrepreneur’s dream come true.” Interested? RSVP here.