How can we be sure what she knew about what she was getting into? I have a feeling that EVERYONE appearing on that show was lied to.
One of my coworkers went to LA to appear on The Swan, a reality show where women get complete makeovers including cosmetic surgery. She was gone for weeks and not allowed to contact anyone in the outside world for weeks.
For weeks she and the other women were sequestered into an isolated hotel to undergo the surgeries, working out, and other activities they put them through. During that time she was on unpaid leave from work and thus had no income. She had no idea it would take that long.
In the end they wound up not using the segments that she appeared in. They just sent he back home flying coach. No fifteen minutes of fame on TV for her.