NBC adds celebrity twist to 'The Apprentice'

By Stone Martindale Jul 16, 2007, 23:51 GMT

05/25/2007 - Donald Trump - © Terry Thompson / Photorazzi

NBC will add celebrities to ratchet up the interest in Donald Trump's next version of "The Apprentice."

Reuters posted comments from NBC executives that mused Rosie O'Donnell would be an interesting casting choice. "It will never happen in this lifetime or beyond," said O'Donnell's publicist Cindi Berger

The network announced Monday at the Television Critic's Association (TCA) in Beverly Hills that the reality show will be back in the middle of next season with the "celebrity twist," the scored proceeds will be donated to charity instead of actually working for Trump.

Previously, NBC canceled "The Apprentice" due to low ratings when it announced its next season schedule at the Upfront event in New York in May.

New NBC chief Ben Silverman did a 180 and called Trump and executive producer Mark Burnett to "revive" the show.

As far as which celebrities wil be called upon, NBC said it was "looking for people with entreprenurial abilities in the areas of sports, entertainment and fashion." rpeorts Reuters from the TCA.

"It would be great to have Rosie on `The Apprentice,'" Silverman said at a morning TCA news conference. "Donald personally told me to extend an invitation to her."

NBC entertainment co-chairman Marc Graboff parroted Silverman's comment, saying "we'd love her" to be on the show.

Reuters reports that Berger immediately put the kibosh on the whole subject, and confirmed the former talk host and "The View" motor mouth "was in talks with NBC about other projects."