Survey Says ... Tewksbury Family Will Play The 'Feud'

It started with a "what if?"

Then the "what if" became a "why not?"

Now the LeBeouf family of Tewskbury is headed to Florida for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Jacquie LeBeouf and her sisters, Nicole and Aime, their mom Diane and cousin Janelle LaFreniere will fly to Orlando later this month to compete on the iconic (though re-tooled) game show "Family Feud."

They expect to tape their first episode on Sept. 18 at Universal Studios and, if they can keep winning, could appear in as many as five episodes.

Appropriately, the adventure began with Jacquie watching television.

"I saw a commercial saying they were having an open casting call in the Boston area. I emailed everyone and they were all pretty excited," said Jacquie, 23, the youngest of the sisters.

A call to the producers set the clan LeBeouf up with an audition time and six members of the family, including aunt Joanne LaFreniere, arrived at Bernie and Phyl's furniture store for the May auditions.

"We had wanted my brother to participate, but he is on active duty in the Air Force," said Jacquie.

The audition structure was simple - play Family Feud against other families. Show intelligence but more importantly, the type of personality that the producers are looking to put on national television.

According to Jacquie, the LeBeoufs battled three other families in a series of games. She said they didn't do anything special, just played with enthusism and energy.

"We thought we did pretty good, but we had to wait and see if we got picked," she said. "We've always been high energy. We're all pretty outgoing."

The LeBeoufs tried not to get their hopes up, as the screening process was just getting started.

A postcard told them they had survived the first cut. It also told them which of the six audition players had been selected to participate. Joanne would be an alternate.

That was followed by a phone call from the screening staff and then a meeting between the family and the executive producers later in May. Again it went well, said Jacquie. All that was left for the family to do was wait ...

... and wait.

"Everyone kept asking us, 'when are you going to know if you'll be on the show?"' she said. "It was kind of nerve-wracking."

Finally, in late July, the family got the call that they had been selected to participate in the Sept. 18 tapings.

While just the six family members will be flying to Orlando, they have extended family down in Central Florida that will attend the tapings to cheer them on.

About the only way to prepare to appear on a game show like "Family Feud" is to practice. The game is as much about quick hands and the ability to think under pressure as it is raw intellect.

With that in mind, the family organized a "practice party" earlier this month, attended by dozens of friends and family members. Jacquie and her squad took on all comers, with Joanne taking on the role of host.

When the family arrives in Orlando, the LeBeoufs will encounter a new-look "Family Feud." Host John O'Hurley has been replaced by actor/comedian Steve Harvey, who joins the proud tradition of hosts that has included the likes of Richard Dawson, Louie Anderson, Ray Combs and, most recently, O'Hurley.

The new season of Family Feud, featuring Harvey, will begin airing on Sept. 13.

As the LeBeoufs prepare for their once-in-a-lifetime chance to win big (upward of $100,000 and an SUV are possible) the biggest anxiety for the women is not the competition itself.

It's what to wear.

"They haven't told us anything about that yet. It's one of the questions I e-mailed (the producers)," said Jacquie. "Everyone's kind of stressing about what to wear and how many outfits we have to bring."

When the LeBeoufs return from Florida, they will have signed a contract promising not to discuss their appearance on the show until the date of its airing. They have not, as yet, been told when that will be.