DONALD TRUMP NAMES JOAN RIVERS ‘THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE‘ AND FIRES ANNIE DUKE ON THE LIVE FINALE OF NBC’S ‘THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE’ SUNDAY, MAY 10

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – May 11, 2009 – Donald Trump announced last night that world-famous comedienne Joan Rivers had defeated world-champion poker player Annie Duke to become the next “Celebrity Apprentice,” in the live finale capping 11 weeks of intense competition and exhausting challenges that raised $1,560,000 for charity.

In their final challenge, the two rival celebrities, with the help of former teammates Dennis Rodman, Tom Green, Melissa Rivers, Brande Roderick, Clint Black and Herschel Walker, each created a pre-theatre silent auction reception, sponsored by Kodak, before a performance of Cirque du Soleil’s “Wintuk.”

Before naming Joan as the winner, however, Donald Trump brought back some of this season’s celebrity contestants, as well as last year’s winner, Piers Morgan, and runner-up, Trace Adkins, for a reunion at New York City’s Museum of Natural History to weigh-in one final time on who they thought should win. Joan came out on top, having raised $532,000 for her charity, God’s Love We Deliver, to become “The Celebrity Apprentice.”

About God’s Love We Deliver

Every day, God’s Love We Deliver receives calls from people who are living with HIV/AIDS and other life-altering illnesses and have an urgent need for nutritious food. With a small full-time staff and over 1,400 dedicated volunteers, God’s Love cooks and delivers over 3,300 individually tailored, freshly prepared meals every weekday. Our meals are delivered to people who, because of their illness, are unable to shop or cook for themselves - at a time in life when good nutrition makes such a difference and a delicious meal provides so much comfort. The mission of God’s Love We Deliver is to improve the health and well-being of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-altering illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition. To this end, in addition to the nutritious meals we provide to all of our clients and their families, we also offer vital nutrition education and counseling. Since 1986, God’s Love We Deliver has proudly served nearly 10 million meals to our friends and neighbors in New York City, Newark and Hudson County, New Jersey. God’s Love We Deliver is a non-sectarian organization.

Joan Rivers is one of the hardest working celebrities in the world: comedienne, Tony-nominated actress, best-selling author, Emmy Award-winning television talk-show host, playwright, screenwriter, motion picture director, columnist, lecturer, syndicated radio host, jewelry designer and cosmetic company entrepreneur, red-carpet fashion laureate, businesswoman and, most importantly to her, mother and grandmother. Rivers’ career skyrocketed in 1968 when she appeared on “The Tonight Show” starring Johnny Carson. Within three years she was hosting “That Show with Joan Rivers,” one of the first syndicated daytime shows, and went on to become the first sole guest host of “The Tonight Show.” Her own “The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers” helped launch the Fox Network in 1986. In 1989, she returned to daytime television with “The Joan Rivers Show,” winning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host the following year, and her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1990, she launched the Joan Rivers Classics Collection of fashion jewelry on QVC. Along with her daughter Melissa, she hosted E!’s red-carpet events from 1996-2004. From 2004-2007 they continued their “must-see” red-carpet coverage for the TV Guide Channel, garnering the highest ratings ever for the channel.

Clint Black, Andrew Dice Clay, Annie Duke, Tom Green, Natalie Gulbis, Scott Hamilton, Jesse James, Claudia Jordan, Khloe Kardashian, Brian McKnight, Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers, Brande Roderick, Dennis Rodman, Herschel Walker and Tionne Watkins are the celebrities who starred on this season’s “The Celebrity Apprentice.”

“The Celebrity Apprentice” is produced by Mark Burnett Productions in association with Trump Productions LLC. Mark Burnett, Donald Trump, Page Feldman and Eden Gaha are Executive Producers.

Source: NBC Press Release