The New Celebrity Apprentice (also known simply as The Apprentice) is the eighth and final installment of the reality game show The Celebrity Apprentice, thus making it the fifteenth and final installment of The Apprentice as a whole. It aired from January 2 to February 13, 2017. The winner of this season was Matt Iseman.
The season marked the only appearance of Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor and former Governor of California, as host. NBC had cut ties with the show's previous and original host Donald Trump, following the start of his presidential campaign in 2015. Trump remained as an executive producer through the show's production company, MGM Television.
NBC announced the 16 contestants, as well as advisors Warren Buffett, Tyra Banks, Steve Ballmer, Jessica Alba, and Patrick M. Knapp Schwarzenegger, on January 28, 2016. On December 1, 2016, six more advisors were announced. Those advisers were former The Apprentice winner Leeza Gibbons, celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito, Extra co-host Tracey Edmonds, The Biggest Loser host Bob Harper, YouTuber iJustine, and Moola CEO Gemma Godfrey. The season was filmed in Los Angeles.
Along with the change of host and location, the catch phrase that accompanied a candidate's elimination from the show was changed from "You're fired" to "You're terminated", a reference to one of Schwarzenegger's most famous film roles. Also, instead of sending contestants away in a taxi cab or limousine, Schwarzenegger would send them away with a helicopter, telling them to "get to the chopper", a reference to the film Predator.
On March 3, 2017, Schwarzenegger announced he would leave the show after one season, since he did not like the "baggage" attached to the show caused by Trump. On August 3, 2017, NBC announced that the show had been cancelled outright.
The cast was announced on January 28, 2016.
The season received an overwhelmingly negative response and Donald Trump mocked Arnold Schwarzenegger multiple times regarding the season's low ratings, saying he was a poor fit for the show and was not a good host compared to himself. Katz Television Group's Bill Carroll stated, "Arnold Schwarzenegger was fine, but it was a different dynamic. The Apprentice in the United States was Trump. From the opening creditsâÂÂthe Trump helicopter, the Trump plane, Trump buildings, it was so identified with Trump and his personality that it's difficult to recast."