HOLLYWOOD—I have been an avid fan of the NBC reality-competition series “The Apprentice” which was hosted by Donald Trump. I was an even bigger fan of his spin-off “The Celebrity Apprentice.” I mean Arsenio Hall, Piers Morgan, Joan Rivers, just some of the celebrities who took the top prize, but there were plenty and I mean PLENTY of catfights along the way.

So with Donald Trump out as the host, and the new President of the United States of America, we need a new host. That host is none other than the former Governor of the State of California and Hollywood action-star Arnold Schwarzenegger. While Trump was a ton of fun, Schwarzenegger is just as entertaining, his tagline in the courtroom was epic, but expected to say the least and it works.

The list of celebrities entertaining the boardroom for the ultimate prize is none other than boxing champion Laila Ali, singer Carnie Wilson, “Baywatch” star Brooke Burke-Charvet, “Real Housewives” stars Porsha Williams and Kyle Richards, “Jersey Shore” alum Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi, rocker Boy George, fashion and reality star Carson Kressley, rocker Vince Neil, NFL stars Eric Dickerson and Ricky Williams, UFC fighter Chael Sonnen, WNBA star Lisa Leslie, “American Ninja Warrior” host Matt Iseman, all-around entertainer Carrie Keagan and comedian Jon Lovitz.

Looks like things were tense on the ladies team with Porsha Williams being nominated as Project Manager by default. The same sentiment was echoed on the men’s team with Boy George and Carson Kressley who were battling on rather they should be Project Manager based on their make-up and fashion industry backgrounds. So we have team names, Prima (for the women) and Arete (for the men).

Arnold’s boardroom advisors, TV host, supermodel and business aficionado Tyra Banks, whose new beauty line was the first challenge for both teams. Also keeping family in the midst is Arnold’s nephew, Patrick M. Knapp Schwarzenegger, whose name might not be well known by many, but his prowess in the courtroom proves he won’t allow the celebrities to get off easy if they fail to accomplish the task at hand.

The two-hour premiere made it clear who would be bring the theatrics each week and during the season, notable standouts include Boy George, Carson Kressley, Porsha Williams and Matt Iseman. They don’t seem afraid to voice how they feel people. So the task was promoting a product and demonstrating a 10-minute presentation that highlights all things great about Tyra’s new make-up line. Watching the guys attempt to place make-up on the faces of women was absolutely HILARIOUS!

Arnold with his advisors Tyra Banks and Patrick Schwarzenegger.
Arnold with his advisors Tyra Banks and Patrick Schwarzenegger.

I wonder about the performance for the ladies because Tyra didn’t look as thrilled with what the ladies delivered, but we’ll see what the guys do and then judge. The men really entertained the audience, and used their celebrity to highlight the product much more than the ladies if you ask me, and they had infamous taglines that were well remembered if you ask me.

And the TIME has come, the BOARDROOM theatrics. Tyra pointed out that Team Prima failed to really talk about the products and did not use their faces to sell the product. Banks was happy with the men’s ability to be knowledgeable about the product being sold, and it looked like the gentlemen won the challenge hands down. It seems like Porsha and the women were speechless when it came time for Arnold to determine who should be fired. He noted the ladies were dodging more questions than Congress. Classic.

Porsha was not willing to take accountability and after constant digging, she decided that the two teammates to bring back to the courtroom were Nicole and Carrie. I was proud to see Nicole not just lay down and die, she showed that Jersey Shore spirit and it was Carrie who was sent packing. The new tagline is “You’re terminated!” And they’re not just heading to the elevator; they are heading to the chopper.

Not one celebrity was fired this week, two celebrities were sent packing. The second task was for the teams to create a song promoting the importance of Trident chewing gum. It looks like the ladies are quite scared to take on leadership tasks. So this time around Jon and Carnie are project leaders, if we’re going to see people scared to step to the plate this is going to suck. It looks like friction is building between Boy George and Vince Neil, so it’s just a matter of time before the fireworks explode. The same echoed with Carnie and Porsha, where the project manager felt a level below Porsha who was taking the horns to finish editing. Once again, I think the ladies might have missed the mark because where was the focus on the variety of smiles, but they definitely highlighted the product. The men’s team showcased more smiles, but failed to showcase the product as prominent as they could have.

Back to the boardroom, Arnold saw friction emerge with the women’s team as Leslie voiced her opinion against the concept. Their constant chatter caused Arnold to give a look that could kill. The same sentiment started to echo on the men’s team, as George and Vince traded spars. The women won on production value, while the guys won on the side of showcasing everyday smiles. I think this could go either way, but it was the men who took the win for the second consecutive time.

The ladies failed to realize that they didn’t accomplish the goal that the client requested. Kyle gave a strong argument for her concept, as well as Leslie, but Nicole dodged questions yet again; it’s time to get real people. Watching Arnold poke fun at Nicole’s inability to give a decisive answer was hilarious. Looks like Snooki sealed her fate, by failing to show some backbone, which gave Carnie the power to request Leslie and Snooki return to the foray.

The drama erupted inside the courtroom as Leslie and Carnie went toe-to-toe. Leslie delivered one hell of an argument that did not make Carnie look good at ALL, and Carnie found herself terminated. If she brought back Kyle, Carnie would have had a shot.

I like this cast, I thought I might be a bit apprehensive as there wasn’t major star power, but the first episode has proven that the celebrities you least expect to bring the drama are the ones who deliver. “The New Celebrity Apprentice” airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on NBC.