Hey Apprentice Fans! I hope you all enjoyed our Live Finale on Sunday night. It has been such an amazing season filled with a lot of drama and, most importantly, a lot of money raised for some incredible charities. Thank you to all those who have been tweeting and posting on the blog with me throughout the season; I have enjoyed hearing your feedback during every episode. In this week's blog, I've tried to address many of the questions that you sent in via my twitter page. Keep them coming and I am looking forward to next year!
Sunday night was particularly exciting because we not only had Marlee Matlin and John Rich going head to head to become the next Celebrity Apprentice and win $250,000 for their charities, but also we had all of the celebrities from the season back together on one stage. Obviously, throughout the season certain personalities clashed. We all remember the "Casper the Ghost" incident between La Toya and NeNe and the explosion over paint supplies between Meat Loaf and Gary. There weren't any two people though that had more issues throughout the course of the show then NeNe and Star. Backstage it was very tense. Our production team frankly was worried about NeNe and Star being in such close proximity to one another. The last time they saw each other was a task delivery when they verbally attacked each other and NeNe packed her bags. I think the ladies intentionally stayed away from each other backstage and of course let it out once my father asked them a question on stage. If the show wasn't two hours, I am sure they could have gone back and forth for much longer. I think it's clear that NeNe and Star won't be hanging out anytime soon...
The atmosphere of the finale was a lot of fun; after all, how can you go wrong with the '70s and '80s?! It was a tough choice but I think the '80s was my favorite. From a marketing standpoint their 7UP can grabbed me, as it was a little bit more "in your face." With that said, I think that the disco theme was very appropriate and well done. In terms of the event and their final tasks, I think both did a terrific job. I really enjoyed the Globetrotters' event and it was a great experience for my kids. I have to say though that I am a product of the '80s. John's event brought me back to my high school and college days of listening to Def Leppard. John did have a mishap occur during his event but I thought he did a great job stepping in, and although the concert didn't go as planned, John turned it into a two-for-one. Getting to see John Rich and Def Leppard perform at the same event was pretty cool.
I've been asked quite a bit about what my favorite moment of the finale was. I think that Gary Busey's kite rant was pretty hysterical. No matter how many times he tries, I just don't think we will ever understand where he was going with that one. You should have seen the random things he was blurting out during the commercial break. Although, if I had to pick one, my favorite moment of the night was when John came out on stage with a cowboy hat for my father. It was sort of an awkward moment, leaving us all wondering "will he or won't he put the hat on?" I think it was a ridiculous but interesting turning point in the night when he finally put the hat on. I am sure John felt a huge victory for that one. That would be one of two victories John had for the night... his next being announced as the new Celebrity Apprentice!
The decision my father had to make was very tough. Both Marlee and John did an incredible job throughout the season. I know many of you have wondered what my father meant when he said he was going to do something differently. What he meant by that was, normally in the finale episode, he "hires" AND "fires." This time he only announced the hire. I think it would have been difficult to fire Marlee, as we have the utmost respect and appreciation for her hard work throughout the season.
This season we had a very strong and passionate group. Throughout the run of The Celebrity Apprentice, I continue to make some great friends. I'm often asked if I would be friends with certain people had they not been on the show. I can say that I've enjoyed meeting each and every one of them. It's amazing because you often discover the celebrities' many talents outside of their known or chosen area of expertise. This season I've become friends with John, Lil Jon and Meat Loaf. I've been friends with Star for a while as well. A few weeks back, I had dinner with Marlee, Jack, John, Star and Meat Loaf. We had a blast. It was great hanging out with them outside the Boardroom. Overall, it was a pleasure to meet and work with all of the members of the original Team Backbone and Team A.S.A.P.
People always ask, "If you could choose the celebrities for next season who would they be?" I think that this is a difficult question because it's not just about the individual but rather the team dynamics. Who creates the craziness or the conflict? How well will the team function - or not function? Those are all huge factors in making a successful show. This season was all of the above: fun, crazy, dramatic and, most of all, record-breaking. This season more money was raised for charity than in the entire history of Celebrity Apprentice!! Watch out next season's cast... you have big shoes to fill.
Thank you again for watching with me and sharing all of your great insights. Looking forward to next season already!