Well, ‘The Apprentice’ is a business soap opera, isn’t it?

When Kelly Perdew was listening to former competitors commend his work during last Thursday’s three-hour finale of “The Apprentice,” he wasn’t imagining what his business cards would look like just yet. “I was wondering in the back of my mind, ‘Is this a giant setup for a fall?’ ” he says.

It turns out the cheerleading helped sway real estate mogul Donald Trump, who selected Perdew over fellow finalist Jennifer Massey as the winner of the reality series’ second season.

The 37-year-old software executive successfully navigated the interview by winning 12 tasks, taking calculated risks and “giving it 100 percent.”

Perdew was given the choice of a job in Las Vegas or New York, and chose to help Trump on his massive development on Manhattan’s West Side.

He’ll earn a six-figure salary – and a year’s supply of Wisk laundry detergent, one of the show’s sponsors.

“Well, I do like to stay clean,” he says.

Another fat paycheck for Alley

Kirstie Alley, star of the upcoming Showtime “fictional reality” series “Fat Actress,” has signed a deal to appear in ads for the Jenny Craig weight-management program.

Alley, 53, who has said she wants to lose more than 50 pounds, will star in commercials that will begin airing Jan. 10. She also will keep a weekly blog on the company’s Web site.

“I had a great time getting fat, and now I’m going to have an even greater time losing weight,” she said in a statement.

Fat or not, he’s still pretty dense

British pop singer Robbie Williams says he would still be taking drugs if they didn’t make him fat.

“I’d still be doing it if I didn’t blow up to the size of an aircraft hangar, you know, because it was a great time,” he said in a radio interview set to air Christmas Day.

“Some of the best times in my life happened under the influence of drugs … and I’m not saying ‘go out and do drugs, kids,’ but I enjoyed them.”

Williams’ addiction became so bad at one point that fellow pop star Elton John intervened to send him to a rehabilitation clinic.

Now, that’s what you call tough Love

Courtney Love is planning to cover her mounting debts by telling her life story in a forthcoming book.

The troubled singer has had an eventful year during which she battled a heroin addiction, lost custody of her 12 year-old daughter Frances Bean, got arrested for allegedly attacking a fan and was found guilty of illegally possessing prescription drugs.

Promises the widow of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain: “It’s all going to come spewing out – every last dirty little secret. If it puts someone’s nose out of joint, that’s tough luck.”

For Ashlee, its time to synch or swim

Ashlee Simpson, whose appearance on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” went awry in a does-she-or-doesn’t-she lip-synch moment, will go on the road starting Feb. 18 in her first headlining tour.

The 20-year-old singer also is hosting the West Coast portion of ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2005” and will perform at the Orange Bowl halftime show on Jan. 4.

The birthday bunch

Actor Hector Elizondo is 68. TV anchor Diane Sawyer is 59. Guitarist Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick) is 58. Singer Robin Gibb (The Bee Gees) is 55. Actress BernNadette Stanis (“Good Times”) is 51. Rapper Luther Campbell is 44. Actor Ralph Fiennes is 42. Actress Heather Donahue (“The Blair Witch Project”) is 30. Actor Chris Carmack (“The O.C.”) is 24.