President-elect Donald Trump is retaining his executive producer credit on The New Celebrity Apprentice. The show debuts on NBC Jan. 2.
The New York Times reports that Trump has held as much as a 50% stake in the Apprentice franchise and received payments from the show’s international editions and a version hosted by Martha Stewart.
MGM produces the program, which Mark Burnett created. Arnold Schwarzenegger hosts the new iteration, which is based in Los Angeles. Schwarzenegger is an executive producer as well.
“Mr. Trump has a big stake in the show and conceived of it with Mark Burnett,” Hope Hicks, Trump’s spokesperson, told Variety, which first reported Trump’s E.P. credit.
NBC did not comment at presstime.
Potential conflicts include advertisers who may find Trump’s comments at times distasteful and that NBC News will report on a president with a financial stake in a program airing on NBC.
Contestants in New Celebrity Apprentice include Boy George, Laila Ali and Vince Neil, and advisors include Warren Buffett and Tyra Banks.
