NEW YORK — Denise Martin, who gained fame as the lunch lady on CBS' reality show "Survivor: China," is donating the $50,000 she received from producer Mark Burnett to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
Martin told viewers on Sunday night's live finale that she'd been demoted to janitor at a school in Douglas, Mass., after finishing fourth on the show. After hearing her story, Burnett surprised Martin with the money to help get her life back.
On Tuesday, Martin acknowledged on CBS' "The Early Show" that she'd been promoted to custodian, at her own request, before the competition began.
"It was not my intention to be misleading," Martin, 40, said on the broadcast. "I'm sorry, and I apologize to everybody."