Why Barbara Corcoran Got Fired From Shark Tank Before It Even Started

Barbara Corcoran got her start in real estate and founded The Corcoran Group when she was just 23-years-old. After three decades, she sold the company to NRT for some $66 million, according to CNBC. However, when the opportunity for Corcoran to appear on "Shark Tank" arose, she was ready to dive in. Corcoran has been on "Shark Tank" since its 2009 premiere and has made some pretty impressive deals over the years. However, before she officially joined the cast, she was actually fired. Yup, you read that right. During a sit down with the gals on the "Chicks in the Office" podcast, the investor shared her experience with production ahead of Season 1. Corcoran explained that she was working on "The Today Show" when she got a call from a producer to discuss a possible role. She was offered a spot on the new show and immediately accepted. "I signed the contract without looking at it, mailed it right back overnight express," she explained, adding that she was super excited to have landed the gig. 

Corcoran started telling all of her friends that she was going to be on television, but, much to her surprise, something changed and she got an unexpected phone call from production. "Two weeks later... they called me and said they changed their mind. They'd hired another woman," Corcoran revealed. Once she was informed that she had lost the life-changing opportunity, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

During her time on "Chicks in the Office," Barbara Corcoran admitted that she was "pissed" and "embarrassed" after getting the news that someone else was going to take her place on "Shark Tank." While she admits to feeling sorry for herself, she ultimately decided to fire off an email to fight for her spot. "I sat down and wrote an email right to 'em," she said. "You've made a mistake. I consider this a compliment. When I've been rejected, my best things happen," Corcoran says she wrote in the email, listing off all of her accomplishments that came after rejections. She then suggested that she and the other woman both fly out to film and they could pick who they'd liked better — and the producer agreed. The rest? Well, it's pretty much history. 

Corcoran has been a staple on "Shark Tank" for each of its 14 seasons. She has invested more than $5 million (per Sharkalytics) in 82 episodes of the show, and her biggest deal was with Coverplay; she offered a whopping $350,000 for a 40% stake in the company. According to its website, Coverplay created "slipcovers for play yards" and is the only business of its kind. There are quite a few designs that go over an existing playpen and cost about $65. Interestingly, however, this wasn't Corcoran's biggest money maker.

Barbara Corcoran has proven to be a successful businesswoman over the course of her career, and the investments that she's made on "Shark Tank" have only furthered that success. In June, Corcoran went on "The Daniel Mac Show" to talk about her biggest "Shark Tank" win. Her deal with The Comfy has actually earned her more than a $400 million return. "I took the deal myself. I got a third of the business for, I think, $50,000," she said of what she invested in the company, which manufactures large, wearable blankets. "They made me $468 million in three years," she said.

With decades of experience under her belt, Corcoran considers herself a business expert. She often makes appearances at various conferences, has her own podcast, and has published a book — or four. In addition, Corcoran genuinely seems to like being on "Shark Tank." According to Parade, she will be returning for Season 15, which is set to kick off in the fall of 2023.