The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

TV host shows you how to party in 'Party On'

Posted: 12 Apr 2014 09:00 AM PDT

If you want to know the best places to get your freak on, Jacqueline M. Wood has the answer for you in Party On.

Jacqueline M. Wood must have the best job in the world. Get this: She's paid by the producers from E! to travel around the globe to scour for the best places to party. And we don't mean your typical club in Ibiza or Miami; we're talking about places where the high rollers and celebrities go to let their hair down.

But there's a catch. She has to take in the sight and culture and party for 48 hours in each location. For Wood, that's a walk in the park, really.

"That's the kind of personality that I have anyway. When I go on a holiday, I want to see everything. I want to know where are the hottest places to go, the best restaurants, the cool beach parties. I've always been that way," says Wood in an interview in Los Angeles about her new travel show Party On.

Though it might seem she was born for the job, getting the gig wasn't that easy. Everyone in Los Angeles seemed to be eyeing the plum spot as the host of Party On.

Wood had to audition for the job and her experience as a soap star helped her ace the screen test.

"They wanted me (to do a piece) on Venice Beach. So, I really prepared myself. I wrote an 80-page script on what I knew about Venice Beach for the shoot," adds the leggy beauty.

Memorising the 80-page script was easy peasy for Wood who starred in The Bold And The Beautiful for five years. The next day, she was told she got the job.

Wood then packed her bags and was ready to go. Collaborating with the producers of the show as well as information from celebrity friends, Wood had a list of places to visit for Party On.

A whole new world: Jacqueline M. Wood quit her cushy job as a daytime soap star to try out new things. She's now the host of the travel series Party On.

From Mykonos and Marbella ("Eva Longoria goes there") to Saint Tropez and Sardinia ("Billionaires' playground of opulence"), Wood was taking in the sights and partying on down.

When asked to name her favourite destination she visited for the show, without missing a heartbeat, Wood replies: "Mykonos! I loved it there. There's just something about the town where you could just go on your ATV and ride around and go to all the restaurants. The food is great; they have great local designers. I bought a lot of bikinis, you know I am a beach girl. I think the vibe there is great. And I got myself into a drag competition."

Even in far flung places, Wood was recognised from her acting days. At a parade in Ibiza, Wood decided to join in the festivities and one fan spotted her in the throng of people on the street.

"So I ended up, you know, body paint, hair up, like completely masked and I was in this little outfit and someone shouted: 'There's Stephie, that b**** from Bold And Beautiful'," she laughs.

But it is not all just fun and glamour on Party On; Wood was also put to the test during filming. Nothing makes for good drama than attempting what looks like the seemingly impossible.

In Sardinia, she was asked to eat a local delicacy – cheese with live worms in it – but Wood had to turn it down because she felt queasy.

But she quickly adds: "I am usually up for trying local delicacies (just not the worms). You know, I did try other stuff from cow appendix to sheep brain and even dormouse in Croatia."

Wood did admit that she was terrified at one point in Marbella when she had to jump off a bridge in an extreme sports challenge.

"I have always wanted to go skydiving; it just seems really cool. But this is different, there is just something about climbing over a bridge and jumping off," she says.

"It is not a bungee. It is a rope so you just fall and then you swing. I really got out of my comfort zone and it was absolutely terrifying. I am really happy that I did it."

Her daredevil attitude also extends to her career. After years of starring in a daytime soap, Wood decided to leave a cushy job to explore other options in showbusiness.

"We're all human and to leave a steady job, it is terrifying. But I just told myself, 'Hey, you know what? I'm going to look back and I'm going to regret if I didn't try it."

So far, everything is coming up roses for Wood. She's happy with her hosting stint for E's Party On and is waiting for what comes next. For an adventurous girl like Wood, she's ready for anything. So, bring it!

>> Party On premieres tonight at 11pm on E! (Astro Ch 712).

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Isnin, 14 April 2014