Donald Trump announces ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ return date

The new season of “Celebrity Apprentice� will be back on NBC beginning Jan. 4.

Show host Donald Trump appeared on “Today� on Tuesday to announce the return of the show for its seventh installment. (It’s the 14th season of “The Apprentice� franchise overall).

Trump announced the celebrities participating in the new season, including reality star Kate Gosselin, “Sharknado� star Ian Ziering, musician Kevin Jonas, TV journalist Geraldo Rivera, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills� star Brandi Glanville, “Dancing With the Stars� winner Shawn Johnson, “Deadliest Catch� star Sig Hansen, actress Vivica Fox, comedian Gilbert Gottfried, “Leave it to Lamas� star Lorenzo Lamas, talk radio host Leeza Gibbons, former Miss USA Kenya Moore, two-time World Series champion Johnny Damon, former NFL player Terrell Owens, former “Cosby Show� star Keisha Knight Pulliam and Olympic snowboarder Jamie Anderson.

But the real draw will be the chance to see Joan Rivers in action one more time. Rivers, who died in September, appears in two episodes of the season as a boardroom judge, filling in for Trump’s daughter, Ivanka.

On “Today,� Trump told Matt Lauer, “I saw her a few days before she passed away, and I want to tell you, I said, ‘She’s going to live forever.’ You looked at her ... she was so strong and so vibrant.�

Trump said there was discussion about cutting Rivers from the show after her death, but a decision was made to use the appearances to give her a special memorial.

“She was so good, and I think she would have liked it that way,� he said.

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