Joan serves as one of the guest advisors in the back-to-back new episodes which feature two more challenges and elimination.
- Jan 20, 2015
AceShowbiz - "The Celebrity Apprentice" returned with back-to-back new episodes which featured final appearance from Joan Rivers on Monday, January 19. The episodes were filmed in 2014 before the comedienne's sudden passing in September. She returned to the show to serve as guest advisor, with Ivanka Trump as another advisor.
In the first one-hour, the teams were tasked to create an interactive marketing event for Ivanka's shoe line. Kenya Moore stepped up as her team's project manager, while Vivica A. Fox became the project manager for Vortex.
Kenya wanted to replicate a Nordstrom store, while Shawn Johnson suggested that her team made it like a Nordstrom dressing area. Vivica liked Shawn's idea, but she was turned off that Shawn didn't step up to be a project manager when she had good ideas. After the truck arrived, Geraldo Rivera suggested setting up a coffee bar outside. Kate Gosselin and Shawn questioned Vivica's decision, and Vivica was appalled by Shawn's attitude.
Kenya's team, meanwhile, began setting up their display in the rain. The result, she said, was like a "high-end boutique you'd see on Rodeo Drive" and she was pleased. Despite criticizing Kenya's work earlier, Leeza Gibbons felt that she and Kenya were finally on the same page message-wise.
In the boardroom, Vivica became emotional when asked if Shawn had been stepping up. "I don't want to be the mean girl. I really don't," she said while crying. The judges then began commenting on the teams' displays and Kenya's team was declared the winner. She won $40,000 for her charity, the Detroit Public School System.
Vivica kept Kate and Shawn in the boardroom with her. Joan Rivers praised Vivica's leadership. Vivica deemed Shawn the weakest and Donald Trump told the athlete, "You should've been project manager. I bet you would've won." But since she didn't step up, she was fired.
For the second task, the team was told to make a viral video for Chuck Full O'Nuts single-serve coffee using GoPro cameras. Leeza stepped up for her team, while Lorenzo Lamas took over Vivica's role.
Following Geraldo's suggestion, Lamas' team agreed to include the product's jingle and turned it into a more hip version. Geraldo starred in the video as a man from two different time periods. Leeza, meanwhile, tapped Ian Ziering to direct the video. They decided to use Brandi and Kenya's catfight as theme, viewed through a male's fantasy.
In the end, the executives thought Lorenzo's ad was too safe and liked Leeza's edgier approach. She won $40,000 for her charity, Care Connection.
Lorenzo brought Vivica and Brandi to the boardroom. While Vivica blamed Brandi for their loss, Brandi thought Lorenzo was responsible since he's the leader. Since Lorenzo refused to blame anyone else, Mr. Trump told him, "Lorenzo, you're fired." The actor admitted Mr. Trump made the "right choice" and he deserved to go home.
