Arnold Schwarzenegger Named Host of ‘Celebrity Apprentice’
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been named the new host of Celebrity Apprentice. The news comes a few months after NBC severed ties with Donald Trump, the reality competition’s original and former host.
“Wow. I’m blown away and honored by all your tweets,” Schwarzenegger wrote on Twitter following the announcement. “I can’t wait to bring my experiences to the board room and raise millions for charity.”
Trump added on to the tweets of support directed to the former governor of California. “He’ll be great and will raise lots of [money] for charity,” he wrote. He followed the congratulatory message with a message to his fans. “Sorry I couldn’t do The Apprentice any longer — but equal time (presidential run) prohibits me from doing so.”
While his White House run may have contributed to Trump’s early consideration of stepping away from the franchise, NBC made it clear that it was his racist, derogatory comments about Mexicans and immigration that caused them to dissolve their relationship with the real estate magnate. “At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values,” the network said in June. Following the decision, Trump still asserted that his presidential run had impacted the decision.
As reaffirmed by Schwarzenegger’s hiring, NBC will continue to air new episodes of The Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice. The Trump-produced Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, however, have been pulled. On Monday, Trump sold the Miss Universe Organization to the agency WME/IMG, three days after purchasing the company from NBC.
Schwarzenegger has been slowly reentering Hollywood ever since wrapping his tenure as governor in 2011. This year, he returned to the Terminator franchise in the new film Terminator Genisys and led the drama Maggie alongside Abigail Breslin as well.