Vince Neil ‘Terminated’ From ‘Celebrity Apprentice’
A week after winning more than $750,000 for charity on The New Celebrity Apprentice, Vince Neil fell on his own sword and was "terminated" on the first of tonight's two challenges.
(Which means ... I get my Monday nights back!!!)
Neil's team, led by WNBA great Lisa Leslie, was tasked with promoting a health-food brand by setting up a pop-up store on a California beach. His first (and, if the show's editing can be believed, only) suggestion was to hire female fitness models to dance on the roof of their shop. "What’s more eye-catching than good-looking girls dancing to the beat?" he asked.
Neil wasn't dissuaded when it was suggested that this could be a turn-off to the mothers who were supposed to be the primary sales target of the campaign. Leslie decided to go along with his idea, "so he’ll feel like he’s a part of this."
In addition to being saddled with this potentially inappropriate concept, Leslie complained that Vince and MMA fighter Chael Sonnen weren't pulling their weight. "They’re not adding anything extra, they’re not coming up with any other ideas," she said. "I did a lot last week to help Vince in terms of fighting for his charity. This week, I definitely get a sense that Vince is ready to throw in the towel. He may be still on this high about how much money he raised, but guess what? I’m here fighting for my charity.”
Sure enough, the judges thought Neil's "model girls" were more of a distraction than an attraction, and his team was brought into the board room so host Arnold Schwarzenegger could decide whom to send home. The "Governator" zeroed in on the former Motley Crue singer quickly, saying his contribution "seemed to me the wrong decision."
Neil initially tried to defend his actions, saying, "I still feel that it was in the spirit of health and the spirit of fitness. These girls weren’t in bikini tops like they were doing a bikini contest, it was like they were doing aerobics in a gym." But he had no response when one of the judges asked him, "How many times do you see women dancing on top of your gym?"
Sensing he was doomed, or wanting to spare his teammates, Neil shocked the room when asked who he thought should go home. "Just looking at the task today, and my performance, it would be me," he said.
That was all Schwarzenegger needed to hear. "Vince, you just fell on your own sword," he said. "You just said that you should go. You were weak in this task. You’re terminated." Neil promptly thanked his host for inviting him on the show, saying it was "an honor and a privilege to work for you."
On his way to the "choppa" used to transport terminated contestants off set, Neil remained upbeat about his time on Celebrity Apprentice. "I’ve never been fired in my life," he said. (Note: In 1992, he went on record to say he was fired from Motley Crue.) "It’s very strange, but I think it’s been a great experience. I was able to raise a lot of money for the Cleveland Clinic. I think it’s going to be a game-changer for them."
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