"I wouldn't streak, just because I don't believe in exploiting nakedness," Shawn said. " You know, it has to do with my religious beliefs."

"Right when I hear the challenge, I know that I'm the one getting naked," said Jessica, who also got eliminated. "Shawn's a Mormon, so I can pretty much bet the farm that he's not going to want to take off his clothes."

This was supposed to prove that one or both of them had enough courage to run Branson's business empire. Basically, it just proved that this show deserves its lousy ratings.

THAT'S NOT REPORTING: More appalling, perhaps to journalists, was the behavior of KSTU "reporter" Sandy Riesgraf on Tuesday night. She's been playing cheerleader at weekly viewing parties to hype "Rebel Billionaire," but she and Ch. 13 really got caught with their pants down on Tuesday night.

Having apparently missed a cue in a live shot before the show began at 7 p.m., Riesgraf was seen and heard exhorting the crowd to cheer on command. That's one of the ultimate crimes in journalism — you're supposed to cover news, not create it.

You could argue that this isn't a news event, it's entertainment. But Ch. 13 sent a "reporter" to cover it. And any reputable journalism school would fail a student who pulled something like that.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com