| 1 | LOS ANGELES - "The Celebrity Apprentice" will return without Donald Trump -- however, the reality competition will not be new for the 2015-16 season. |
| 2 | The hit series will be back on NBC, network boss Bob Greenblatt confirmed on Thursday at the Television Critics' Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif., but the return date is in flux. |
| 3 | Currently, NBC is searching for a new host to replace Trump. |
| 4 | Greenblatt insisted the new host has not yet been chosen. |
| 5 | "Were obviously looking for a host of that show that will make noise and will be a big personality. There are a few people out there that fit that bill," Greenblatt said. |
| 6 | The NBC prez also commented on Trump's success on "Celebrity Apprentice," and more recently, in the world of political buzz. |
| 7 | "I guess people are just, in the political world, looking for somebody who just speaks their mind, regardless of anything else. He does that. Whether you agree with anything he says, he says it without any kind of filter...there's probably something refreshing about that," Greenblatt said, adding, "I think at some point, you have to look at the message." |
| 8 | "The world likes a star, and he's a star," Greenblatt recognized, calling Trump an "effusive" man. |
| 9 | The network exec also gave kudos to Trump for his professionalism, while they worked on "Apprentice" together. |
| 10 | "We weren't in any adversarial position. There were no controversies," he said. |
| 11 | "He worked really closely with Mark Burnett. It was a congenial, really great relationship." |
| 12 | As for Trump's Miss Universe, which infamously switched over to Reelz for this past pageant's telecast, Greenblatt confirmed that NBC is "almost done" with exiting their partnership from the franchise. |
| 13 | And as for the presidential hopeful's future with the network? |
| 14 | "I don't think somebody who is running for President and might possibly be the next leader of the free world should be banned from activity with NBC," Greenblatt uttered, but not without noting, "At the moment, we're sort of separated." |
| 15 | Pressing for a firm answer, press members asked Greenblatt if there's any chance Trump could ever return to "Celebrity Apprentice?" |