NBC Fires Trump: ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ On Hold As Network Searches For Donald Trump Replacement
Fans of Celebrity Apprentice are now getting some details about where NBC is headed with the next season of the show. The network had previously indicated that it intended to continue the show, but all of the drama with host Donald Trump and his controversial run for political office has shaken things up. What has the network revealed about the direction the show is headed?
Fans may remember that the latest Celebrity Apprentice renewal was announced by Donald Trump last winter during the finale where Leeza Gibbons beat out Geraldo Rivera for the big win. While typically at this point in the year there would be spoilers floating around with filming taking place or even completed, no solid buzz had been emerging. As Variety shares, that’s because the show is on hold for a bit.
A new season of Celebrity Apprentice is still coming, NBC says, but not in the near future. NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt shares that the network is working on replacing Donald Trump, thus the delay in a new season.
The network formally cut ties with Trump after Donald’s controversial remarks during his announcement speech. Not only did this wreck havoc with the partnership between NBC and Trump related to the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants, but it affected Celebrity Apprentice as well.
Until now, Trump has been involved with every season of the Apprentice franchise, ultimately the show is licensed from Mark Burnett’s company United Artists Media Group. The network says a new host has not yet been chosen, but they are looking for a big personality who will make a lot of noise. Greenblatt did not speculate on any specific personalities they were considering and he denied that any rumors floating around were accurate.
Though the network has distanced itself from Trump for now, Greenblatt indicates there is no formal, permanent ban in place. However, when pressed about whether Trump might return to Celebrity Apprentice at some point in the future, Greenblatt said that such a return would absolutely not happen.
Us Weekly details that Celebrity Apprentice is expected to return for the 2016-2017 television season. This won’t be the first time that there was a significant gap between seasons, as the most recently-aired season sat on a shelf after filming for nearly a year. However, this will be the first time the show airs without the involvement of the Trump family.
Will Celebrity Apprentice be able to successfully return without Donald Trump at the helm? Some fans are already noting that they had stopped watching the show solely because of Trump, so NBC might have reason to think they’ll have luck with a replacement. For now, though, everybody will have to stay tuned for news on the next season of Celebrity Apprentice and scoop on a replacement host.
[Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images]
