September 14, 2015

NBC announced today that the search is over for a new 'CEO' of The Celebrity Apprentice. International movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger will take over the duties from the departing Donald Trump, ushering in a new era for the long-running reality series.

"We are thrilled to be opening a powerful new chapter in the story of the Apprentice franchise," said the network's president of alternative programming, Paul Telegdy, in a press release. "Arnold Schwarzenegger is the epitome of a global brand in entertainment and business, and his accomplishments in the political arena speak for themselves. It was Arnold's personal passion for the format that Mark Burnett and Donald Trump built over the last decade, as well as his fresh take on how to take it to new heights for today's audiences, that made him the man to hire. The Celebrity Apprentice … will be back!"

NBC announced in August that it was parting ways with Trump, who hosted both versions of The Apprentice since its 2004 premiere. Though the search for a replacement did not take very long, the show will be skipping the current season and returning in 2016-2017.