By Holly Rasmussen
Get pumped up: Arnold Schwarzenegger has been named as the new host of Celebrity Apprentice. Arnold, aka “The Governator,” will be taking over for Donald Trump as the chief mentor/executioner on the reality series’ new season.
In a statement issued on Monday, Arnold expressed his excitement about his new role.
“I have always been a huge fan of ‘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.”
In June, NBC announced it was cutting all ties with Donald Trump after he made some derogatory comments toward immigrants. (He has since targeted many other groups in his attacks.)
The announcement of Arnold becoming host caused Twitter to blow up with tweets aimed at The Donald. Fans thought they were being clever by tweeting things like, “You’re terminated!” and “You will not be back!” to the show’s former host.
So how did The Donald react to the news that Arnie will be replacing him after seven seasons? He was surprisingly positive in his tweets following the announcement.
“To all my fans, sorry I couldn’t do ‘The Apprentice’ any longer-but equal time (presidential run) prohibits me from doing so. Love!” Donald wrote.
He also tweeted congratulations to Arnold.
“Congrats to my friend @Schwarzenegger who is doing next season’s ‘Celebrity Apprentice.’ He’ll be great & will raise lots of $ for charity.”
NBC also released a statement about how excited the network is for the new phase of the show.
“Arnold Schwarzenegger is the epitome of a global brand in entertainment and business and his accomplishments in the political area speak for themselves,” Paul Telegdy of NBC Entertainment said. “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.”
So, what are those qualifications that make Arnold such a good fit? Well, he served two terms as Governor of California, managing more than 300,000 state employees and a budget in the hundreds of billions. He has also spent years investing in real estate and sports franchises. And, who could forget, his starring role in “The Terminator” franchise and his 60- year film career.
It looks ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ will…be… back. (Bad pun, yes, but everyone was doing it!)
(Photo: MTV)
