Just like in the real dog-eat-dog business world, "The Celebrity Apprentice" has pretty much proved to be an old boys club. Over the last five seasons, only Joan Rivers has been woman enough to take the top prize, defeating fellow female contestant Annie Duke in the second installment of the show.
Only One Woman Has Been Named 'The Celebrity Apprentice.'
In other years Piers Morgan, Brett Michaels, and John Rich were named victors. Now with an exclusively male final two consisting of Clay Aiken and Arsenio Hall, there's no hope for a female winner yet again.
This year it looked like Aubrey O'Day was poised to break the cycle and show Mr. Trump that a woman was once again worthy of the title. Surviving long past strong contenders like Penn Jillette, the singer and Playboy model seemed like one of the least likely finalists when the competitors were announced. But O'Day proved to be creative, smart, and politically savvy.
Aubrey O'Day Almost Walked Away from the Chance To Be 'The Celebrity Apprentice.'
Yet there was a moment when O'Day actually walked away from the show and almost threw away her chances at ultimate success. After an on-camera argument in which Arsenio Hall called her a few choice names earlier in a mid-season episode, she took the elevator to the ground floor instead of returning to hang with the other safe celebrities in the penthouse.
In a recent conference call interview, she recounted the dramatic "Celebrity Apprentice" moment, saying, "I was put in a situation that was uncomfortable and unfamiliar in regards to this specific show. So sometimes it's best to walk away from something because you can never take your words back."
O'Day later tweeted that she had gone to church and returned to Trump Towers to fight another day. Following that the reality star held her own in six more tasks, proving that she was more than just pretty on the outside.
Aubrey O'Day Was Too Transparent to Win 'The Celebrity Apprentice.'
Although she was brought into the boardroom only once (by the eliminated project manager Lou Ferrigno), O'Day only has a 50-50 success rate as project manager. And when push came to shove, Mr. Trump listened to his trusted advisors. When last season's winner, Rich, declared that O'Day was transparent, the Donald sent her packing.
Still O'Day didn't seem bitter about her defeat despite the fact that her former nemesis, Hall, outlasted her. She described the roller-coaster ride she took on the show and the way she's dealt with it after taping ended. "You get angry. You pace. I definitely paced back and forth and had a few choice words. And then you either move on and become happy and peaceful and forgive yourself and other people, or I guess stay angry, but I don't think that's a smart choice, and I am assuming that the smart people will do that."
O'Day might not be the next "Celebrity Apprentice," but she's okay with that. She conceded, "Whether I get fired by Diddy or fired by Trump or have things go my way or not go my way, I want to be able to go to bed at night and love who I am."
See which man is left standing in "The Celebrity Apprentice" season finale on Sunday, May 20 at 9pm EST/8pm CST on NBC.
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