‘The Apprentice’ Gets Arnold Schwarzenegger As New Host; Donald Trump Speaks Up On His Replacement
"The Apprentice" announced Arnold Schwarzenegger as its new host, and Donald Trump was quick to speak up about his replacement.
According to a report from Entertainment Weekly, the action star and former California governor and will take over the hit reality competition when it returns for its new season.
"We are thrilled to be opening a powerful new chapter in the story of the Apprentice franchise," said NBC exec Paul Telegdy.
"Arnold Schwarzenegger is the epitome of a global brand in entertainment and business, and his accomplishments in the political arena speak for themselves."
He added, "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."
Arnold Schwarzenegger said he is excited to join "The Apprentice" as its new host.
"I have always been a huge fan of The Celebrity Apprentice and the way it showcases the challenges and triumphs of business and teamwork," he said.
"I am thrilled to bring my experience to the boardroom and to continue to raise millions for charity. Let's get started!"
According to a report from Deadline, Donald Trump has expressed his support for "The Apprentice" franchise's new host.
"Congrats to my friend [Arnold] Schwarzenegger who is doing next season's 'Celebrity Apprentice,'" the business tycoon tweeted.
"He'll be great [and] will raise lots of [money] for charity."
"To all my fans, sorry I couldn't do 'The Apprentice' any longer-but equal time (presidential run) prohibits me from doing so," he added.
CNN Money reported that charities donated by "The Celebrity Apprentice" has totalled more than $15 million to date. The franchise's executive producer, Mark Burnett, said he believes Arnold Schwarzenegger will do well as "The Apprentice" series' new host.
"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," Mark Burnett said.