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Celebrities Will Put Up With Trump's Tirades To Help Choice Charities

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By FRAZIER MOORE, The Associated Press

Published: January 3, 2008

They come armed with star power (however dimming), bravado and a favorite charity. They aim to put it all to work as "The Celebrity Apprentice" premieres with its all-star celebrity lineup of candidates.

On this new twist on "The Apprentice," now in its seventh season, the 14 contenders will be competing in business-oriented tasks around New York to raise money for their pet charities.

The final winner will be crowned "Celebrity Apprentice" and deliver a $250,000 bonus check to his or her favorite cause.

As usual, the tasks will be judged in the boardroom by Trump and his advisers, who include Trump's children (and colleagues) Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., alongside Trump Organization veteran George Ross.

The celebrity contestants include country music star Trace Adkins, model-actress Carol Alt, actor-writer Stephen Baldwin, Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comaneci, former Playboy Playmate of the Year Tiffany Fallon, Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch and media magnate Nely Galan.

Also, actress-writer Marilu Henner, heavyweight boxing champ Lennox Lewis, former "Apprentice" star Omarosa, TV personality-writer Piers Morgan, Ultimate Fighting Champion Tito Ortiz, former "Sopranos" regular Vincent Pastore and rock star-personality Gene Simmons.

"The Celebrity Apprentice" premieres at 9 tonight on NBC.

SPEEDING IN TAMPA: Tampa manages to attract more dubious publicity with tonight's season premiere lineup of "Speeders" on TruTV. The 9 p.m. "Tampa Good Old Boys" is one of several new episodes on the former Court TV.

"Speeders" shows tapes of people trying to talk their way out of speeding tickets.

Other new shows on the renamed channel include "The Real Hustle," which interviews pickpockets about tricks of the trade; the upcoming "Black Gold," about oil prospectors; and "Ocean Force Huntington Beach O.C.," which follows lifeguards.

The six remaining hours of legal-oriented material during the day will remain, labeled "In Session."

LOOKING GOOD ON LIFETIME: You have to give it extra credit for the title: "How to Look Good Naked."

This Lifetime reality series sets out to demonstrate that - without shedding (or gaining) - a pound, all women are beautiful, regardless of their shape or size.

With the wildly encouraging Carson Kressley ("Queer Eye for the Straight Guy") on the case, women are taught to go from self-loathing to self-loving without interventions such as extreme dieting or cosmetic surgery.

During each half-hour, Kressley guides a woman through a variety of activities, such as learning to dress appropriately for her body type, choosing the correct undergarments and understanding the right way to style her hair and makeup.

Can he succeed in helping her true self come through? Find out when the series premieres at 9 p.m. Friday. Then at 9:30, meet Matt Titus, billed as New York's premier professional relationship expert, on the debut of "Matched in Manhattan."

Then meet elite party planners on the premieres of "Top This Party: Orange County" (10 p.m.) and "Top This Party: Las Vegas" (10:30).

AT THE DEBATES: ABC and Fox News Channel are narrowing the field of presidential candidates invited to debates this weekend just before the New Hampshire primary, in Fox's case infuriating supporters of Republican Ron Paul.

The roster of participants for ABC's back-to-back, prime time Republican and Democratic debates Saturday in New Hampshire will be determined after results of today's Iowa caucus become clear.

Fox, meanwhile, has invited five GOP candidates to a forum with Chris Wallace scheduled for its mobile studio in New Hampshire on Sunday. Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson received invites, leaving Paul and Duncan Hunter on the sidelines.

The network said it had limited space in its studio, a souped-up bus.

TWISTED: What's with the TV twisters this season? First, the residents of Wisteria Lane on "Desperate Housewives" are ravaged by one, and now a twister hits in "Friday Night Lights," damaging the campus of a Dillion High School rival.

That means the Panthers will have to share their field and facilities with their opponents. The show airs at 9 p.m. Friday on NBC.

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