Didn't get leave from my work to participate in a reality show. Feeling low?

I can selected in one of the reality shows. Don't like to take the name of the show, I even got through all the preliminary rounds. But when there was time to go for the real thing, my manager refused to give me my annual leave. She said if I want to go, I must resign, I couldn't resign due to my financial situation. Do you think, I took the right decision to stick to my job? I am feeling really low and really think I lost once in a lifetime opportunity