The Rebel Billionaire gained credibility this week -- despite a "streaking" stunt -- because its leader, Richard Branson, proved that finding the right chief executive for his job was more important than winning a few more points in future Nielsen Ratings.

Branson's primary task was to qualify one of sixteen leaders worthy enough to take over the keys to Branson's Virgin domain for a day, and pay them $1 million. He stayed true to his objective by sending the beautiful, somewhat controversial, and therefore good-for-the ratings Jessica McCann home.

Watching the founder & Chairman of Virgin fly around the world acting as the taskmaster is an adventure that entrepreneurs worldwide may find intriguing. Just to experience the billionaire's decision-making process could be worth an hour of your time next Tuesday night.

In the beginning, 50,000 initial contestants were narrowed to sixteen. Over the past few weeks, we have watched challenge upon challenge to narrow the playing field.

All of Branson's challenges have been physical in some way.

All of them have required extreme courage, if not utter stupidity or insanity.

And most of the challenges, if not all of them, have taught the contestants a lesson while revealing their true spirit.

Certainly, those who have been eliminated to-date have walked away with a tremendous appreciation for the opportunity presented to them. An all-expenses paid trip to three continents including Africa? The chance for two to meet Nelson Mendela? Who wouldn't relish that opportunity, as well the chance to hang out with the charismatic, wildly successful Sir Richard Branson?

In the last episode because Jermaine fell asleep for one hour in the African wild called Ulusaba he was sent to pack his bags and leave Branson's Private Game Reserve.

This week's challenge took place back in London.

A Rock 'n Roll Day of Challenges

"Welcome to V2 Music," Branson said to the ten remaining contestants.

The Chairman of everything Virgin said:

Virgin's history comes from music. First, we had Virgin Records. Then we built the biggest independent record label in the world. And the last few years, we've been rebuilding again with V2 Music.

We've got bands like The Datsuns, The White Stripes and the Stereophonics.

We also have a big festival that we hold in England. In fact, it's the biggest European festival called the V Festival.

This week the challenge was to pick a winning band for the V Music Festival in Chelmsford. The contestants were split into two groups and given the task of listening to four bands.

From the beginning of the hour to the end, the producers of the show played up the love-hate relationship between the two assigned leaders, Jessica McCann and Steve Berke.

Of the four bands, they were asked to select one to represent. They would then have the task of pitching the band to a team of seasoned music professionals from V2 Records and the V Festival. The goal: To sell their band over the other team's band to Branson's advisory board.

Branson's advisory board would listen to the two pitches and the two bands. From each performance, they would choose a winner.

The winning band would perform at the V Festival.

The leader of the losing team, whose band would not perform, would be required to select an elimination challenger.

The four bands to choose from: Rachel Mari Kimber, Exit Ten, The Naked Apes and Red.

The women led by Steve selected Exit Ten to represent and pitch.

The men led by Jessica selected Red.

The advisory board included:

Richard Branson

James Kidd, the Virgin brand director of Virgin Mobile and co-leader of the V Festival

Kelly Bryant, formerly with the band "Eternal" who has sold 60 million albums worldwide

Emma Banks, Managing Director of Helter Skelter, the biggest agency for bands in Europe

The board selected Exit Ten to perform at the V Festival.

As Jessica was the leader of the losing team, she chose Shawn as her elimination challenger.

Branson's final challenge to help him determine who would be eliminated from the competition:

1) One person would be required to sing on stage in front of the 100,000 concert goers at the V Music festival this past August;

2) The other was challenged to "streak" on stage, in front of the crowd, as a way of pitching their chosen band.

Branson said that he often has had to make a fool of himself to promote his businesses.

What could be more demoralizing and challenging? Singing the Britney Spears song to a "hostile" crowd of 100,000 people who didn't want to hear it, or running across a stage in the buff with "RED" painted on your chest and "Virgin" painted on your backside?

As a Mormon, Shawn refused to strip. Jessica didn't hesitate for a moment to take it all off in public -- in front of Branson, her competitors and thousands. "I'll strip," Jessica said confidently. In her defense, she did expect to have her private parts painted. Unfortunately, for her, that was not the case.

In one hour, Shawn was required to memorize Britney Spears' tune Oops I Did It Again and sing it a cappella to the V Festival crowd.

At the end of this episode, I had hoped Branson would have told Jessica he was letting her go, in part, because of her poor judgment call to "bare it all".

Speaking of which, what happened to Branson doing everything the contestants were asked to do?

Our expectation was that Jessica would survive due to her ratings appeal. However, because she was the leader of her group who lost the contest, Branson ultimately had Jessica take the fall for the group's failure to select the best band.

No matter that Jessica had sex appeal that might have helped the show's ratings. No matter that there was a potential budding romance, if not a contentious relationship, taking place with rival competitor, Steve.

Jessica said, "Steve and I have a forbidden love. He loves me, and I forbid it."

No matter that Jessica had previously walked a plank between two hot-air balloons at 10,000 feet, or had jumped seven feet off a cliff into the arms of her teammate above a 360 foot gorge. No matter that she came into the game with confidence as a successful business person and leader.

Before the competition began, she said, "I'm excited about being on the guys' team just because the last few years I've been running a sales company. There are three things I believe you need to successfully manage a team of people. They have to respect you. They have to admire you, and they have to fear you."

The bottom line: She was the leader of the losing team this week. And relative to the remaining contestants, Branson said, "As leader you have to take the responsibility. In the end, the wrong band was chosen. Whether it was your fault you couldn't hold Shawn in check. In the end..." Handing Jessica the ticket to board the helicopter and leave the show, he grimaced and said, "I'm sorry."

As she departed we heard Branson say, "Sending Jessica home was certainly not easy. She's a great lady. She's a gutsy lady. But at this point in her life, I don't think she has quite what it takes to run my company."

On those terms, we felt Branson made the right choice for the right reasons.

Shawn D. Nelson & Sir Richard Branson

Shawn, happy to stay in the game, remained on the tarmac.

Could he be the one? Only nine Rebel contestants remain.

Up Next Week: A crazy stunt outside London's tallest building during an oncoming storm.

For a further inside look at The Rebel Billionaire, go to:

Watch FOX to see who will receive they key to Branson's empire which includes: Virgin Active, our favorite SFO-to-London airline Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin Balloon Flights in the UK, Virgin Bikes, Virgin Blue, Virgin Books, Virgin Brides, Virgin Business Solutions, Virgin Cars, Virgin Cosmetics, Virgin Digital, four "rugged elegant" destinations through Virgin Limited Edition, Virgin Records, Virgin Megastores, Virgin Wines and Virgin Galactic, to name a few.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, and "drumming to the right beat" living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King

P.S. Incidentally, I did a search on "Exit Ten," the band that won the opportunity to perform at the V Festival. The first page of results offered no CD of the group. Rather, I found two books that may be beneficial to future Rebel contestants and the world of adventuresome entrepreneurs currently watching Branson in action.

The Ten Demandments: Rules to Live By in the Age of the Demanding Customer by Kelly Mooney & Laura Bergheim

The Ten-Day MBA: A Step-By-step Guide To Mastering The Skills Taught In America's Top Business Schools by Steven A. Silbiger

Photo credits of Jessica baring all: Neil Greenway, eFestivals.co.uk