As Trump moves up, ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ gets Schwarzenegger spin

Reuters: As Donald Trump prepares to take office as US president, another celebrity turned politician is about to take over his ‘Apprentice’ TV show hot seat, and is hoping for higher ratings.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the ‘Terminator’ movie star who served two terms as California governor, promises a more humorous touch on ‘The New Celebrity Apprentice’ starting on 2 January on NBC with a new round of stars taking on business-related challenges.

Schwarzenegger, 69, said he asked for the reality show to move from New York to California and to reflect his personality.

“Even though it looked very dramatic and terrific when you saw the boardroom in New York, it was kind of dark. I wanted to see everything more bright. I’m a very upbeat person and I have a good sense of humor,” Schwarzenegger told reporters ahead of the premiere.

“I want to play up my personality. Trump did a great job playing up his personality,” he said.

Trump’s 11-year stint on “The Apprentice” and sister show “Celebrity Apprentice” catapulted him from New York businessman to a household name. More than 20 million Americans were regular watchers in the show’s early years, falling to around six million in 2015.