The Celebrity Apprentice will soon find its new host to replace the controversial Donald Trump.
ADVERTISEMENT
According to a source, NBC executives are looking at NBA legend and LA Dodgers co-owner Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to fill the position, Us Weekly reported.
Johnson, Branson and Cuban "are all being discussed as Trump replacements on Apprentice," said the insider.
NBC cut ties with Trump, 69, in June after he went under fire for having said Mexican immigrants are mostly "druglords, rapists and criminals" during a presidential campaign speech. The network later dropped the Miss USA pageant, which Trump partly owns, and the Republican candidate threatened to sue at the time.
But the alleged frontrunners might not actually be gunning for the job.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Mark's not interested," a source close to Cuban, 57, told Us. "He thinks [his ABC series] Shark Tank is a way better show and loves being a part of it."
A representative for Branson, 65, said, "Richard has a very busy schedule of worldwide commitments that would not enable him to do this."
NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt told reporters at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in August that The Celebrity Apprentice will return for the 2016-2017 season.
"We're always looking for a host of that show who's going to make noise and be a big personality," Greenblatt explained.
"There's a few people out there who fit that bill. I guess people are just in the political world looking for somebody who just speaks their mind, regardless of anything else. [Trump] does that... Whether you agree with what he says, he says it without any kind of filter."
ADVERTISEMENT
Greenblatt also said he could "absolutely" envision a woman hosting The Celebrity Apprentice.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski