Gawker.com  has posted an exclusive interview with 25-year-old researcher Robert Thomas who claims he helped Richard Heene, the father of "balloon boy" Falcon Heene, plan a balloon hoax as part of a proposal to try to land a reality TV show.

Gawker, which acknowledges it paid Thomas for the interview, includes in the long interview details of many hours he spent with Heene working on the proposal.

He says Heene was "driven by ego and fame" after appearing on the ABC reality show Wife Swap.

The posting includes audio of the interview, a link to the reality TV proposal and e-mails Thomas says he exchanged with Heene.

Click here to read Gawker's posting.