LOS ANGELES: In an epic mishmash of politics and celebrity, Donald Trump’s elevation from “Celebrity Apprentice” host to president-elect has created an opening for actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to become a reality TV star.
To further complicate matters, Trump retains a producing stake in “The New Celebrity Apprentice.”
But Schwarzenegger says viewers will find out who is the boss when the revamped reality series debuts Monday on NBC with a two-hour episode (8-10 p.m. EST).
“The show is Arnold. The other one was Trump. I have a different personality and I do everything kind of lighthearted,” said Schwarzenegger, of bodybuilding, “Terminator” movies and political fame. He served as governor from 2003-2011. He was sanguine about whether the Trump connection, past or present, may dissuade some viewers from tuning in after the bitterly divisive presidential election. (Schwarzenegger, a moderate Republican, said in an October statement that he would not vote for Trump, calling it a choice of “your country over your party.”)
“People always like to associate themselves with a winner, and he won, so I think that’s a big plus for the show,” Schwarzenegger said. Besides, he added, “I never concern myself over things I have no control over.”
“When we did the show, we didn’t do it thinking about, ‘Is Trump going to win? What does it mean he was the host of the show?’ None of it,” he said.
Celebrity Apprentice my show, not Trump’s: Schwarzenegger
Celebrity Apprentice my show, not Trump’s: Schwarzenegger
