By Crystal A. Johnson on
16 million people tuned into the first episode of Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice on January 3, a show in which celebrities work to win money for the charity of their choice. Critics may argue it is a publicity stunt to boost ratings, but when $250,000 is at stake to go to a good cause, all is fair in ratings and charity.
The show marks the 7th series of reality television show The Apprentice, and features a return to the original format of a male team versus a female team. The men’s team named themselves Hydra, and the women have chosen the name Empresario.
Every week, the money earned on a project goes to the team leader’s charity. In the first episode, actor Stephen Baldwin headed the winning team, and the breast cancer charity named for his mother – the Carol M. Baldwin Cancer Research Fund – was the first charity to reap the benefits of male star power. Baldwin proudly presented a check in excess on $69,000 to the charity. His celebrity teammates include KISS bass player Gene Simmons, Heavyweight Boxing Champion Lennox Lewis, country singer Trace Adkins, America/Britain’s Got Talent judge Piers Morgan, Ultimate Fighting Champion Tito Ortiz, and Sopranos star Vincent Pastore.
The female celebrities have lost two challenges and two teammates – former Playboy Playmate Tiffany Fallon and Olympic Gold Medalist Nadia Comanechi. The remaining competitors include actress Marilu Henner, former supermodel Carol Alt, Olympic Gold medalist Jennie Lynch, Elemundo executive Nely Galan, and infamous veteran Apprentice star Omarosa.
The charities the celebrities are fighting for are:
- Nadia Comanechi- Special Olympics
- Jenni Finch- The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
- Marilu Henner- The Physician’s Committee For Responsible Medicine
- Carol Alt- The Tony Alt Memorial Foundation
- Lennox Lewis-The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center
- Gene Simmons-The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
- Piers Morgan- The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
- Stephen Baldwin- The Carol M. Baldwin Cancer Research Fund
- Tiffany Falon- The Walter Reed Society
- Tito Ortiz- The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Vincent Pastore- The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research
- Nely Galan- Count Me In
- Trace Adkins – the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN)
- Omarosa – Tomorrow's Aeronautic Museum
Copyright © 2008 Look to the Stars
