Blagojevich, Strawberry to attempt on 'Apprentice'

NEW YORK – Donald Trump boasted that the accessible division of "The Celebrity Apprentice" is the best anytime and promised the brilliant ability of its casting "blows `Dancing With the Stars' away."

Yes, it's a new aeon for the Trump-hosted antagonism show, which won't premiere until March 14 but threw an anterior annual appointment way aback aftermost October, with sworn-to-secrecy associates of the media affair the contenders.

Now NBC says it's time to bare that agenda of 14 participants, who will acceptable activation responses alignment from "Wow!" to "Huh?"

Maybe the best absorbing (to use Trump's pet adjective) actor is above Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Vaulted to abomination by annual and bite lines, he is answerable with artful to bargain off President Barack Obama's above U.S. Senate seat, attack fundraising abuses and added offenses. He was removed from appointment aftermost January, but has denied wrongdoing.

Maybe not so interesting: the comedian-actor Sinbad and Australian TV chef Curtis Stone.

"I'm absolutely not a domiciliary name," said comedian-author Carol Leifer, but she articulate confident. "I'm not afraid that Joan Rivers won (last season), because, as a standup comic, you're a one-man bandage — it makes you actual able for demanding situations to be able to acknowledge to a lot of pressure. Humor is a weapon anywhere and everywhere!"

Former Poison diva Bret Michaels declared that, with a party-hearty bedrock singer's image, he would be adjourned as the season's "super-underdog."

"But I've been my own bang-up aback I've been 19 years old," said the 46-year-old above brilliant of the "Rock of Love" absoluteness show. "For bigger or worse, I've been on my own, I've abstruse to cycle with the punches."

Then the pro wrestler-actor who calls himself Goldberg issued fair warning.

"I apperceive I'm activity to backfire during this appearance at some point and say things I apparently don't mean," he said. "I apprehend that about myself. I'm animal and accept flaws."

Baseball abundant Darryl Strawberry, rock-star wife and TV personality Sharon Osbourne, and Olympic gold-medal sprinter Michael Johnson will additionally be competing, forth with accompanist Cyndi Lauper, extra Holly Robinson Peete and Victoria's Secret archetypal Selita Ebanks.

As they spoke, the contestants were appointed to activate taping "Celebrity Apprentice" the abutting day, and WWE wrestler-model Maria Kanellis was asked if they were already allocation up anniversary other.

"Of course, we are!" she replied.

The celebrities won't be allusive for a job with Trump, as in the old, civilian-cast "Apprentice," but instead will attempt in business-oriented tasks about Manhattan to accession money for (and publicize) their admired charities.

"I alive a adequately accustomed life. I'm a mom with two kids," said Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders, who is advancement the Right to Play, an alignment that uses action and comedy to advance the lives of disadvantaged children. "But to accept the befalling to acquaint my alms to the apple is the acumen I chose to do this."

Blagojevich, whose called alms is the Children's Cancer Center (which assists kids with life-threatening diseases and their families), has approved afore to acreage a role on a absoluteness show. Aftermost bounce he attempted to accompany NBC's "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here," but a federal adjudicator barred him from activity to the Costa Rican armpit area the appearance originated. His wife, above aboriginal adult Patti Blagojevich, competed in his place.

"The accepted cerebration amid a lot of acceptable attorneys is that you artlessly don't do these things, you don't say anything, you adumbrate about until you accept your day in court," said Blagojevich.

By contrast, his aptitude is "to action back," he explained, which maybe helps annual for his accord on "Celebrity Apprentice."

"It's a wilderness aeon for me," Blagojevich acknowledged. "But sometimes absolute opportunities advance in your life's adventure that you can't absolutely see back you're adverse agitated times and the affectionate of storm that I'm facing."

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