Lil Jon receives honor for "Apprentice" earnings (AP)

DECATUR, Ga. – When Lil Jon was fired from the reality show "Celebrity Apprentice," the rapper-producer fell short of the amount of money he wanted to raise for his charity.

Lil Jon's charity thought his efforts were just enough. On Tuesday, he was honored by the United Methodist Children's Home for raising $80,000 through his endeavors on "Celebrity Apprentice."

The proceeds will be placed in an endowment fund to help educational opportunities and refurbish buildings at the sprawling 99-acre campus in suburban Atlanta.

Lil Jon's initial goal was to raise $100,000, but he was satisfied with the awareness the show brought to his cause. He was among the final four contestants along with John Rich, Meat Loaf and Marlee Matlin.

Rich won the competition on Sunday, taking home $250,000 for his charity.

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"Apprentice" ends with lowest-ever spring finale (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – ABC's Billboard Music Awards was all the talk on Sunday, but over on NBC, Donald Trump named the latest winner of "Celebrity Apprentice."

"Celebrity Apprentice" managed to trump the BMAs in viewership, averaging 8.3 million total viewers, but was behind in the adults 18-49 demographic with a 2.9 rating. The two-hour season ender, which saw country star John Rich named the victor, was the franchise's lowest-rated spring finale. The episode dipped 15 percent compared with last season's finale.

"Minute to Win It" (4.2 million, 1.2) and "Dateline" (5 million, 1.3), though, were up double digits. NBC placed third in the demographic.

ABC did top the night in the demographic, averaging a 2.6 rating, with the Billboard Music Awards (7.9 million, 2.9) and "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.1 million, 1.5), down 17 percent.

Fox's animation block placed second among adults 18-49, with the season finale of "Family Guy" (5.8 million, 3.0) Sunday's highest-rated program. "American Dad" (3.6 million, 1.6) and "Bob's Burgers" (4.3 million, 2.1) slipped slightly, while "The Simpsons" (5.3 million, 2.5) remained steady.

CBS' "60 Minutes" (10.6 million, 1.5), which aired its piece on doping accusations against Lance Armstrong, dipped 12 percent. "Jesse Stone: Innocents Loss" (13.7 million, 1.3), starring Tom Selleck, was Sunday's most-watched program.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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Singer John Rich named `Celebrity Apprentice' (AP)

NEW YORK – Country singer John Rich went all the way on "The Celebrity Apprentice," claiming victory and $250,000 for charity.

He was up against actress Marlee Matlin on Sunday's finale of the NBC reality show.

Host Donald Trump said it was his toughest "Apprentice" ruling yet.

"I've never had to go through something like this... You've both been amazing," Trump told the pair before announcing his choice on the live portion of the program.

This season of "Celebrity Apprentice" began airing in March with 16 contestants, each competing in business-oriented tasks around Manhattan to raise money for and publicize their favorite causes. The final challenge had called for competing promotional campaigns for a brand of soda.

Rich now wins a $250,000 check for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Matlin, who won the 1987 Academy Award for best actress for "Children of a Lesser God," had been playing for the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

Shortly before the verdict was delivered, the two joined forces to perform a song, "For the Kids," which Rich sang and Matlin, who is deaf, signed evocatively.

Most of the "fired" contestants were back for the live finale. But one of them, reality-show star Richard Hatch, was conspicuously absent. In the latest chapter of his brushes with the law, he had been returned to prison for tax evasion several weeks ago.

Asked by Trump to comment on Hatch's legal woes, onetime teen idol David Cassidy, a contestant who had clashed with Hatch this season, responded with a smile, "I think he's in the right place at the right time."

Trump was presiding over "The Celebrity Apprentice" just six days after declaring he wouldn't run for the White House in 2012. For several weeks, Trump had floated the idea of a Republican presidential candidacy during a publicity-commanding blast that seemed conveniently to coincide with the current season of his TV show.

He'll be back for another round of "Celebrity Apprentice" next season, he told the world last Monday during an NBC gathering for advertisers.

___

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Rich could be 1st country Celeb Apprentice (AP)

By CAITLIN R. KING, Associated Press Caitlin R. King, Associated Press – Fri May 13, 7:52 am ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Country stars have done well on "Celebrity Apprentice": Trace Adkins was runner-up during the show's first season in 2008, while Clint Black took fifth place the following year.

Still, none has won the title — but John Rich of the duo Big & Rich might change that this season. He's one of the last four contestants standing, and has won two tasks that he led as project manager.

One person who isn't surprised with how well Rich is doing is Adkins — he recommended him for the show.

"I knew John would excel in that situation, and he has," Adkins told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "I think it's John's to win, actually. I think he's got the best shot of anybody, from what I've seen."

The only way contestants can win money for their charities is by stepping up to be project manager. It's a risk, because the blame for losing often falls to the team leader.

"Anytime you're project manager, you could be fired," said Rich. "You know, it can happen. But I'm there to play for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. My whole goal is to raise more money than anybody in the history of the show, as much as I possibly can."

Rich, 37, has raised more than $680,000 for St. Jude so far.

"I think probably the best thing that we have going for us, and I'm speaking for country people in general, when we're put in those situations, nobody expects anything of us," said Adkins. "Nobody expects us to be any good at it, and so we go in with those low expectations and then when we perform the way we do, I think we sneak up on them."

Rich said it also helps to stay focused on the reason he's competing in the first place.

"'Apprentice' is a tough show. It's a tough show to be a part of, but if you're there for the right reasons, it's just great," said Rich. "If you've ever been to St. Jude, you'll never get over it. These kids they need our money."

Rich has gotten to work with some very colorful characters during his time on "Celebrity Apprentice", including actor Gary Busey, who was defined on the show for his crazy antics.

"In music, you generally don't have Gary Busey up in your face like this talking to you. Meat Loaf, Gary Busey, it's pretty crazy," he said.

"You get a shot of Crown Royal with music. You get a shot of Gary Busey (with TV)," added Big & Rich's other half, "Big" Kenny Alphin.

"Celebrity Apprentice" host Donald Trump fired Busey a few weeks back, but Rich says he may have another job for him.

"We should have Gary Busey on the road with Big & Rich. That's a show," he said.

The final four "Celebrity Apprentice" contestants are Rich, Meat Loaf, Lil Jon and Marlee Matlin. The season finale airs live on May 22.

Big & Rich's "Xtreme Muzik" tour starts June 18 in Springfield, Mo.

__

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http://www.nbc.com/the-apprentice/

http://www.bigandrich.com/

Join the conversation at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Country

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Rich could be 1st country Celeb Apprentice (AP)

By CAITLIN R. KING, Associated Press Caitlin R. King, Associated Press – Fri May 13, 7:52 am ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Country stars have done well on "Celebrity Apprentice": Trace Adkins was runner-up during the show's first season in 2008, while Clint Black took fifth place the following year.

Still, none has won the title — but John Rich of the duo Big & Rich might change that this season. He's one of the last four contestants standing, and has won two tasks that he led as project manager.

One person who isn't surprised with how well Rich is doing is Adkins — he recommended him for the show.

"I knew John would excel in that situation, and he has," Adkins told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "I think it's John's to win, actually. I think he's got the best shot of anybody, from what I've seen."

The only way contestants can win money for their charities is by stepping up to be project manager. It's a risk, because the blame for losing often falls to the team leader.

"Anytime you're project manager, you could be fired," said Rich. "You know, it can happen. But I'm there to play for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. My whole goal is to raise more money than anybody in the history of the show, as much as I possibly can."

Rich, 37, has raised more than $680,000 for St. Jude so far.

"I think probably the best thing that we have going for us, and I'm speaking for country people in general, when we're put in those situations, nobody expects anything of us," said Adkins. "Nobody expects us to be any good at it, and so we go in with those low expectations and then when we perform the way we do, I think we sneak up on them."

Rich said it also helps to stay focused on the reason he's competing in the first place.

"'Apprentice' is a tough show. It's a tough show to be a part of, but if you're there for the right reasons, it's just great," said Rich. "If you've ever been to St. Jude, you'll never get over it. These kids they need our money."

Rich has gotten to work with some very colorful characters during his time on "Celebrity Apprentice", including actor Gary Busey, who was defined on the show for his crazy antics.

"In music, you generally don't have Gary Busey up in your face like this talking to you. Meat Loaf, Gary Busey, it's pretty crazy," he said.

"You get a shot of Crown Royal with music. You get a shot of Gary Busey (with TV)," added Big & Rich's other half, "Big" Kenny Alphin.

"Celebrity Apprentice" host Donald Trump fired Busey a few weeks back, but Rich says he may have another job for him.

"We should have Gary Busey on the road with Big & Rich. That's a show," he said.

The final four "Celebrity Apprentice" contestants are Rich, Meat Loaf, Lil Jon and Marlee Matlin. The season finale airs live on May 22.

Big & Rich's "Xtreme Muzik" tour starts June 18 in Springfield, Mo.

__

Online:

http://www.nbc.com/the-apprentice/

http://www.bigandrich.com/

Join the conversation at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Country

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Video: Meatloaf explodes on The U.S. Apprentice

Posted by heatworld 04 April 2011 20:34

Tags: Meatloaf Gary Busey

 Ok, so Meatloaf might not be our usual celeb of choice but this berserk outburst, rightly or wrongly, made us LOL, so we thought it only fair to share!

Here is Meatloaf on the U.S. Apprentice going totally nuts, proving he might do anything for love but he won’t take no crap over his paint sponges (cue the LOL). He really did get proper narked when fellow contestant Gary Busey dared steal his paint sponges, shouting:

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