Fridley woman vies for rewards of reality TV

Last update: February 22, 2008 - 12:00 AM

A 23-year-old Fridley woman is immersed in the socio-psychological television entanglement that is "Big Brother: 'Til Death Do You Part" with a cool half-million bucks awaiting the last reality contestant standing.

Amanda Hansen has a bachelor's degree in paralegal studies/political science from Winona State University and now works for a legal contract specialist for a large health care insurance company.

According to her official CBS biography, Hansen is "a hopeless romantic and wonders where all the good men are in the world."

A native of Wisconsin, she grew up in Kenosha and in Burnett County. She ran track in high school and was a beauty pageant contestant.

Her mother, Debra, told the Burnett County Sentinel that her daughter "is very outgoing, and she likes to be the center of attention."

"Big Brother," which airs Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays on CBS, follows a group of strangers living together in a house outfitted with dozens of cameras and microphones recording their every move 24/7.

One by one for three months, the house guests vote each other out of the house until the last one remaining wins the grand prize. This is the ninth "Big Brother" installment.

PAUL WALSH