Arnold Schwarzenegger made his “Celebrity Apprentice” hosting debut Monday night and revealed his aptly chosen catchphrase: “You’re terminated.”
The new slogan — which replaces “You’re fired,” made famous by previous host and now president-elect Donald Trump — had been a closely guarded secret, but it’s an obvious choice given Schwarzenegger’s acting background.
The “Terminator” star and former governor of California had his first chance to use the line halfway through Monday’s two-hour premiere, when he sent home TV personality Carrie Keagan after the women’s team lost a challenge promoting Tyra Banks’ new makeup line.
After the second challenge of making a commercial about smiles for Trident gum, which the women also lost, Schwarzenegger decided to eliminate singer Carnie Wilson, and threw in another of his famous movie quotes, telling her, “You’re terminated. Hasta la vista, baby.” As if that wasn’t sufficiently machismo, the Governator then lit up a cigar right there in the boardroom as he reflected on the dismissal.
The other big change in the new “Celebrity Apprentice” is the move from New York to LA, which meant that instead of ousted contestants leaving in a stretch limo, they’re whisked away via a helicopter waiting on the roof — or, as Schwarzenegger called it, the “choppa.”