Arnold Schwarzenegger confirmed on Friday that he is terminating his time on “The New Celebrity Apprentice” after blaming President Donald Trump’s continued involvement for its poor ratings.
The 69-year-old actor -- famous for his catchphrase “I’ll be back” -- had earlier told entertainment magazine Empire that he had no plans to return to the show after his debut season, and would decline even if asked by creator Mark Burnett.
“I loved every second of working with NBC and Mark Burnett. Everyone -- from the celebrities to the crew to the marketing department -- was a straight 10, and I would absolutely work with all of them again on a show that doesn’t have this baggage,” he confirmed in a statement.
“With Trump being involved in the show people have a bad taste and don’t want to participate as a spectator or as a sponsor or in any other way support the show,” Schwarzenegger had told Empire earlier Friday.
“It’s a very divisive period now and I think this show got caught up in all that division.”
He added that he had universally positive feedback on his own performance but people had told him they couldn’t watch after seeing Trump’s name in the credits as executive producer.