Arnold Schwarzenegger replaces Donald Trump in the Highly Successful “Apprentice”
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – Sept. 14, 2015 – Twice-elected California governor and international movie superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger has been named new host of NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice,” which will return to the network for the 2016-17 season.
The former governor will replace Donald Trump who, in his role as host of the seven seasons of “The Celebrity Apprentice,” helped raise more than $15 million for charity.
“I have always been a huge fan of ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ and the way it showcases the challenges and triumphs of business and teamwork. I am thrilled to bring my experience to the boardroom and to continue to raise millions for charity. Let’s get started,”said Schwarzenegger. “We are thrilled to be opening a powerful new chapter in the story of the ‘Apprentice’ franchise,” said Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment. “Arnold Schwarzenegger is the epitome of a global brand in entertainment and business, and his accomplishments in the political arena speak for themselves. It was Arnold’s personal passion for the format that Mark Burnett and Donald Trump built over the last decade, as well as his fresh take on how to take it to new heights for today’s audiences, that made him the man to hire. ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ … will be back!”
“The Apprentice” franchise is one of the most successful reality formats in television history. In “The Celebrity Apprentice,” business-savvy celebrity contestants work in teams and are asked to perform various tasks and win challenges, all the while employing a business model that promotes teamwork and, hopefully, ends with a financially successful outcome – all for a worthy charity. Contestants are subjected to long hours, grueling deadlines, intellectual challenges, personality clashes and intense scrutiny. Each task will end in the boardroom, where contestants must account for their actions or risk being “fired” by the host until one remains.
“After leaving the show to run for political office, Donald made it clear that he wanted ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ to be able to continue to raise millions of dollars annually for worthy causes, and now NBC and I have found an amazing new leader to do just that,” said executive producer Mark Burnett. “Gov. Schwarzenegger will use his vast and highly successful business, political and media experience to drive this hit franchise to new heights.”
Schwarzenegger said: “I have always been a huge fan of ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ and the way it showcases the challenges and triumphs of business and teamwork. I am thrilled to bring my experience to the boardroom and to continue to raise millions for charity. Let’s get started!”
Previous “Celebrity Apprentice” winners include Joan Rivers, Piers Morgan, Bret Michaels, Trace Adkins, Arsenio Hall, John Rich and Leeza Gibbons.
“The Celebrity Apprentice” is produced by United Artists Media Group. Mark Burnett, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Page Feldman and Eric Van Wagenen are executive producers.
Schwarzenegger is represented by Creative Artists Agency and attorneys Patrick Knapp and Jacob Bloom of Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal.