‘Shark Tank’ Secrets and Scandals: Barbara Corcoran Almost Wasn’t on the Hit Show!

Who knew?! It may seem that all is great with the sharks during episodes of the hit ABC show Shark Tank, but so it turns out, there are a lot of secrets and scandals behind the scenes. For starters, Barbara Corcoran almost didn’t appear on the popular series!

“I signed a contract to be on the show, then they called and said they had changed their mind,” the real estate mogul, 68, told In Touch, adding that the producers only wanted one woman in the cast and that one woman was not her. “I wrote the best email probably of my life to [executive producer] Mark Burnett. I suggested he invite both women out to compete.” Barbara and Lori Greiner — who revealed to the news outlet that “every single thing that you see her wear [this season] she made and designed” — ended up being the two women on the show.

And now that Barbara has been voted off Dancing With the Stars, she will have even more time to focus on her role on Shark Tank. Speaking of DWTS, her co-star Robert Herjavec apparently went through a very troubling time before meeting his now wife, Kym Herjavec, on the dancing competition during Season 20. After he divorced his first wife, Diane Plese, after 26 years of marriage, he admitted to hitting rock bottom, which sadly made him want to commit suicide. “I just wanted to end [my life],” the 55-year-old once shared before admitting that he nearly jumped off a building in Toronto. “I was hollow and broken.”

Kevin O’Leary (better known as Mr. Wonderful) also almost lost his marriage to the show. In 2011, Kevin and his wife, Linda O’Leary, briefly separated. “The amount of time we spend [shooting the show] is a lot. I spend more time with [my co-stars] than my family,” Kevin, 63, told In Touch. “The time commitment is immense.” Be sure to tune in to the two-hour-long Season 9 premiere of Shark Tank on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. on ABC.