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The Celebrity Apprentice Season 5: Conference Call With Donald Trump, Debbie Gibson and Arsenio Hall

Posted on 02/09/2012 by Todd in The Celebrity Apprentice and Cast Interviews

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The Celebrity Apprentice Season 5

by Todd Betzold

 

With a record-setting 18 celebrities on Season 5 of The Celebrity Apprentice, viewers should expect a bigger mix of drama, fighting and emotions...maybe even a table tossed in the boardroom by Teresa Giudice. Today we were part of a conference call with Donald Trump, Debbie Gibson and Arsenio Hall as they gave a preview of what to expect on this upcoming season.

 

Q. What do you know now in business, and even in life, that you didn't know when you were first starting out, when you were young and in your 20s?

A. Trump: Wow, that's a good question. I think that experience is a great thing and you learn so much through experience. It's trial and error, but ultimately it becomes really trial because you see what goes on and you learn things. I've actually learned things just from doing Celebrity Apprentice...one thing I've learned is you never really know who's going to be great and who's not good...we're on with two great people, I have to tell you that. Sometimes you're so amazed and so disappointed in some people. You have them and you see them and you meet them and they look great and they're dressed sharp, everything's great and you say oh wow, they're gonna be fantastic, but they turn out to be a total dud. And then you'll have some that you don't really think will do that well and they turn out to be superstars. So, you really see that and that's the thing I've learned the most about the show itself is that it is very hard to predict who's gonna be the star early on.

 

Q. What made you want to be a part of the show? What were some of your concerns about joining?

A. Debbie: At first I was concerned it was just going to be, basically so taxing to my nervous system. I thought, oh my god, do I want to put myself through this...I knew it was not for the faint-of-heart and ultimately the charity aspect people kept nagging at me and I do think anyone would be lying to you if they said that was the only reason for doing the show. Obviously the show is an amazing platform for every project you have going on and maybe things, like for me and my career that I've been doing that people didn't know about...this shines a big light on everything, but ultimately the charity aspect, I think, is the backbone of the show and if you are going to get up on very little sleep and run around and basically achieve the nearly impossible in 24-hour periods of time. It is amazing that there is that as the backbone to the show because millions have been raised for charity every season and being a part of that and watching it unfold was incredible.

Arsenio: My situation was kind of two-fold. I've always wanted to do the show, I was a fan of the show, but I live in L.A. and I'm a single dad...didn't think I could leave my home for two months at a time. I just didn't think it was possible and my son's twelve now and it just happens to be the 20th anniversary of the Magic Johnson Foundation, which you know for obvious reasons I've been a part of for a long time, so it just seemed like this was the year and all things were pointing to the fact that this was the time for me to help the organization...it was the perfect time to leave for two months, even though that never works like you want it to and I'm glad I did it. It's probably one of the best show business experiences I've ever had, besides The Wayne Brady daytime talk show (laughs).

 

Q. In what ways did Debbie and Arsenio surprise you this season, as far as what you didn't know about them?

A. Trump: Well, I didn't know Debbie as well as Arsenio, other than I watched her on Broadway in Les Mis and she was fantastic, so the thing I knew about Debbie was she's a very, very talented singer and actress and I was actually there at opening night when she opened in Les Mis and she was great and I still remember it, the way she sang. Arsenio I knew for a long time, but I really knew him through the show and his show was the hottest show. I mean, he was the best at what he did. He was sort of killing everybody and he became the buzzshow and then all of a sudden Arsenio was gone and nobody quite understood it, in fact, I'm gonna have to talk to you Arsenio to figure it out because he had this hot show and I think Arsenio sort of went into hiding and a lot of people when they heard Arsenio was on our show they said wow, that's a great get, because he sort of became almost reclusive and people wanted him for different things and he wouldn't do it and I think this is Arsenio's coming out party. Debbie, if you remember I said, I think Arsenio, wait until you see what happens...he really does a great job. I think Arsenio will have a very major show after Celebrity Apprentice...a lot of people were impressed that we got Arsenio and we're honored to of had him. Arsenio, I want 10% immediately on any show you may sign...you too Debbie.

 

Q. How do you think you would have done as a contestant on The Apprentice when you first started out?

A. Trump: Maybe poorly...it's such a hard job...I mean, these people work so hard. In a way, I could never understand it...with time, I got to understand it. If you look at Joan Rivers and how well she did and I'm not talking about people that win, I'm talking about people that didn't win. Trace Adkins, people hadn't heard too much about Trace Adkins and he's now the #1 country singer and he didn't win. Piers Morgan took over Larry King. People that went two episodes, three episodes, everybody was, not everybody, I mean some people left poorly, some people quit and forever known as quitters, so not everybody was thrilled with having done it, but most people that really worked at it, amazing. And the reason is they want to protect their brand and in certain ways, the celebrities work even harder and these are people, and many of them with great success, work even harder than when we just did the regular Apprentice where, frankly, you had people that weren't celebrities, that weren't necessarily successful and I think the reason, Joan Rivers as an example, she was 76 years old when she won...she had the stamina better than any of the athletes we had on the show, and these were great, strong athletes and it was amazing...they want to protect their brand, so it's really a lot of fun for me.

 

Q. You have had a lot to say about the election, do you think candidates can learn from watching The Apprentice?

A. Trump: Well, I do think so, actually. The reason I did The Apprentice, and I was told it could never be successful and we came, as you know, many nights the number one show on television and continues to do really well...10:00, it's the number one show...Sunday, it's the number one show...it's been a great success and I was told that a business show, and I consider this somewhat of a business show, but a business show has never made it in primetime and I was told that very strongly by agents and everyone else. They said don't do it, you're wasting your time and this is twelve seasons later and it continues to be one of the great shows. So, I've had a lot of fun with it, but you know this is an example of a show that is business-oriented, if you think about it...it's entertainment, but it's business-oriented that really made it in primetime.

 

Q. The show is such a success also with the charities, but also because of conflict ensues with trying to win...you have such great personalities on the show. Were there any specific heated rivals this season that you didn't necessarily expect would happen?

A. Trump: Well, Arsenio had a great rival, but I'll tell you there was one rivalry that was really interesting...Lisa Lampanelli vs. Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza and that was an unbelievable rivalry. I don't know what it is that Lisa had against Dayana, but it was brutal. You know, Lisa's tough and smart, but it was brutal. Wouldn't you say so Arsenio and Debra? It was a tough rivalry, I thought.

 

Debbie: It was and I think people were very hard on Dayana, She is a beauty queen...people assume that beauty queens can't be creative and resourceful and smart and I found myself sticking up for her quite often actually. I thought they were extra hard on her.

 

Trump: But she ended up being very smart. She was actually, in a very understated way, she turned out to be very smart, but Lisa just went after Dayana...it was brutal. Arsenio you had a particular problem.

 

Arsenio: I had a problem with everybody (laughs). I had a problem with Victoria Gotti. ..I'm happy to be alive today. Lisa was really on Miss Universe...Lisa was our Meatloaf of this season.

 

Trump: Lisa was brutal and Lisa surprised me because she's much more emotional than I thought she'd be...she turned out to be much more emotional.

 

Arsenio: I never imagined she would cry and then her and Lou Ferrigno cried every hour.

 

Trump: Yeah, Lou was another one. Lou's a great character actually, but very emotional person.

 

Arsenio: Don't make him mad...he'll turn green.

 

Debbie: When you watch the show as a fan, you wonder how much of the relationship issues are provoked, maybe by producers or whatever, and what I learned is that all the roller coaster relationships and rivalries are real. You are in close quarters with people...you don't get along with everybody. I usually get along with everybody, but I had my share of rubbing elbows with somebody and then things turn and one day suddenly you're getting along and somebody you thought you liked showed some colors you didn't like and suddenly that took a turn and all that stuff is real, which was one of the biggest surprises for me.

 

Trump: Debra had somebody, in particular, that really went after you, which I never even understood why, but you had somebody that was not so nice to you, right Debra?

 

Debbie: Yup, yup and then it turns and now we're three friends...go figure.

 

Trump: So, there was a lot of conflict...I just say this, this was a very, very smart cast and I think people are going to learn a lot from Celebrity Apprentice. I've had emotional casts, and this was one of them, but this was a very, very smart group of people as a whole.


The Celebrity Apprentice premieres Sunday, February 19th at 9/8c on NBC.

 

(Image courtesy of NBC)

 

Follow Todd @tbetzold


  


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