'American Idol' Fantasia Barrino lands new VH1 reality show

BY Issie Lapowsky
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Thursday, April 16th 2009, 11:28 AM

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Fantasia hits reality TV

It's back to reality for Fantasia Barrino.

The R&B singer and winner of American Idol's third season is joining the celeb-reality trend over at VH1 with a new unscripted series, reports People.com.

Scheduled to begin in 2010, the show will chronicle Barrino's career and her life as a single mom. "Fantasia's life has been an open book, but at 24 years old, her story has just begun," executive producer Randy Barbato said to the Hollywood Reporter.

The show will add to the star's already long list of achievements. In addition to being nominated for nine Grammy Awards, Barrino has also starred in Broadway's "The Color Purple," written a bestselling autobiography called "Life is Not a Fairytale," and played herself in the Lifetime movie based on the book.

"Fantasia has one of the most fascinating stories in show business, from her tough upbringing to her meteoric rise on the national scene thanks to American Idol,'" Jeff Olde, executive VP of original programming at VH1, said.

"Her challenges from fame and her unwillingness to fail have combined to create a larger-than-life talent who appeals to music lovers around the world," he said, adding that Barrino's show was coveted among industry folk.

Now that it has found a home at VHI, executive producer Barbato said, "We look forward to smashing expectations and revealing the fresh, funny and unexpected side of this one-of-a-kind country girl and superstar."