Don’t tune in to the Palm Springs episode of “The Surreal Life 2” to see Tammy Faye Bakker Messner nude.
The WB reality series shot footage of its captive celebrities at the Desert Shadows Inn nudist resort Monday, but the former Palm Springs-based televangelist didn’t show up.
Its other celebrities — porn star Ron Jeremy, rapper Vanilla Ice, “Baywatch” actress Traci Bingham, “ChiPs” star Erik Estrada and MTV “Real World: Las Vegas” cast member Trishelle — played volleyball with an all-nude Desert Shadows team, but didn’t get naked even though they were offered points that could have made their team victorious.
Messner, who once lived a few blocks from the nudist resort with ex-husband Jim Bakker, therefore didn’t have to bare, er, bear, the responsibility of costing her team points that could have raised money for charity.
Desert Shadows co-owner Stephen Payne said a Desert Sun story printed last week created a Maelstrom at the WB network because they had intended to surprise Messner and the cast by taking them from the Hollywood Hills mansion where they have been shooting most of the show to the nudist resort as a field trip.
Payne said Messner had local friends or business associates who told her about the story, so she made the trip to Palm Springs, but didn’t enter the resort.
CNN cameras were waiting to record the celebrity reactions as they were asked to play nude volleyball, and Estrada said he was surprised to discover their destination. But he wasn’t surprised by Messner’s reaction.
“I knew when I realized what it was it was just a matter of minutes for Tammy to split — and rightfully so,” Estrada said, “because she really does walk with God.”
Estrada also said he had no intention of taking his clothes off, although he took his shirt off and pretended at one point he might take off his pants to put his team ahead in the volleyball game.
Estrada and Bingham tried to get Jeremy to take off his clothes when the score was 9-12, but even he wouldn’t go beyond topless.
Surprise guest and winning alumnus of the first “Surreal Life” Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe also took off his shirt, revealing a flesh canvas of tattoos, and dropped his pants for an interview, but colleague Vanilla Ice didn’t even take off his red shirt and matching cap.
The Desert Shadows team eventually won 15-10.
Desert Shadows marketing director Barry Gumaer said no one anticipated that any of the stars would go naked.
“We didn’t have a pool going, so nobody lost any money,” he said, “but I think the overall consensus was that they would not.”
The episode, which also includes stops at other destinations in Palm Springs, is due to air early next year.