Tonight two new episodes of The Celebrity Apprentice air on NBC. Which two celebrities will Mr. Trump send home? Read this live recap to find out what happened.
Last week Sig Hansen and Kate Gosselin were eliminated, leaving seven contestants. This episode sees more drama — and two more departures. Here’s a clear, scene-by-scene recap.
After the previous boardroom, Team Infinity breathes a little easier without Kenya. Ian admits she was a capable competitor, but says the team’s dynamic improved with her gone. In a confessional, Kenya insists she came to compete and wasn’t there to make friends.
The celebrities meet Mr. Trump, his sons Eric and Don Jr., and executives from King’s Hawaiian at the International Center of Photography to learn their next task. They must craft a photo-bomb campaign that highlights King’s Hawaiian dinner rolls, complete with original hashtags and a presentation. The brand executives will choose the winner. Johnny is named project manager for Team Infinity; Kenya takes the lead for Team Vortex. In a confessional, Vivica expresses concern about Kenya’s leadership and calls her a “snake in the grass.”
Brainstorming begins. On Team Infinity, Brandi proposes a “we rise to the occasion” concept. Ian leverages his connections to secure a helicopter for aerial shots. On Team Vortex, Kenya attempts to smooth things over with Vivica and start fresh, but Vivica remains skeptical. Kenya’s campaign idea is risqué: superimpose King’s Hawaiian rolls over models’ rear ends — a playful “buns over buns” visual.
Team Infinity uses the helicopter to photograph New York City landmarks for their campaign. Team Vortex shoots on the streets instead. Tension grows when Kenya assigns Vivica to be her assistant and suggests Vivica isn’t slim enough to appear in the photos. Kenya says in a confessional she didn’t need Vivica’s skills to complete the task. Vivica, sidelined, watches as Kenya and Geraldo take the lead on the photography.
Back at editing, Leeza worries Team Infinity hasn’t integrated the King’s Hawaiian brand clearly enough; she wants the product to be unmistakable in every image. Team Vortex’s editing session brings more disagreement: Vivica feels their concept is too cartoonish and doubts the executives will respond favorably. To complicate matters, Vivica’s phone goes missing, adding a new layer of conflict.
Presentation day arrives. Johnny, the Infinity project manager, admits he struggles with a childhood stutter and seems nervous. He starts the presentation, then hands it to Leeza, who finishes the pitch confidently; Brandi and Ian join to display their campaign images. Team Vortex follows with their edgier idea. The executives — and Eric and Don Jr. — appear uncomfortable with the “buns over buns” approach, and one executive looks particularly uneasy.
In the boardroom, Mr. Trump asks Johnny to name his star player; Johnny identifies Leeza. Johnny’s teammates praise him as PM. Kenya defends her team and compliments Geraldo but is critical of Vivica’s contributions. Vivica says Kenya began well but became dismissive and ignored her throughout the task.
When the verdict is announced, Team Infinity prevails. Although their hashtags weren’t outstanding, the King’s Hawaiian executives were far more put off by Team Vortex’s body-focused concept. Therefore, Team Infinity wins again.
The boardroom erupts into personal accusations. Mr. Trump notes Team Vortex’s losing streak. Vivica points the blame at Kenya and insists the campaign was Kenya’s idea. Kenya defends herself, insisting she had treated Vivica kindly. Their exchange escalates into heated insults, with Vivica accusing Kenya of being “toxic.” Vivica also confronts Kenya over a tweet on her account that referenced menopause; Vivica insists she never posted it and realizes her phone was stolen.
Suspicion falls on Kenya after Vivica says the phone went missing while Kenya had been handling various tasks. Don Jr. even checks whether the tweet exists; it does appear on Vivica’s account, but Vivica maintains she didn’t write it and believes someone else posted it from her device. The situation makes the boardroom even more volatile, and Mr. Trump weighs both the failed campaign and the phone controversy.
Ultimately Mr. Trump pins the loss on Kenya’s choices. Mr. Trump fires Kenya Moore. Kenya tries to placate the room and speaks to Vivica, but Vivica is furious and refuses to listen, calling Kenya one of the most selfish people she’s met.
Vivica and Geraldo return to the suite to join Team Infinity, where the rest of the contestants react strongly to the revelation that Vivica’s phone may have been stolen. With Kenya gone, Vivica and Geraldo remain as Team Vortex’s only members.
The next task brings new judges: Mr. Trump, Eric Trump, Joan Rivers, and an executive from Anheuser-Busch. The challenge is to write and perform a jingle for Bud Light. Mr. Trump asks Geraldo whom he wants on Team Vortex; he picks Leeza, who becomes Vortex’s project manager. Brandi is named project manager for Team Infinity.
During brainstorming, Geraldo suggests a Latin-flavored jingle while Leeza favors a rowdy, football-party vibe. They land on the “nice over ice” lyric, which Leeza and Vivica approve. On Team Infinity, Ian isolates himself, preferring not to be distracted while others hum ideas. Brandi is increasingly frustrated with Ian’s ego and how he dismisses others’ concepts. Johnny, a musician with industry connections, proposes a jingle and Brandi leans toward his version, but Ian keeps pushing his own concept and resents not being chosen.
Tensions boil over as Ian argues with Brandi about roles and priorities. Brandi grows irritated by what she sees as Ian’s condescension and demands he be quiet. Meanwhile, Team Vortex finishes their jingle with choreography and upbeat performance plans; Vivica praises Leeza’s leadership.
At the presentation, Vortex opens with Leeza leading their performance. Joan Rivers, Eric, and the Anheuser-Busch executive appear to enjoy the jingle and the staging. Team Infinity’s song is slower and wordier; the judges respond politely, but Joan specifically criticizes its crowded lyrics and flags the use of the word “señorita” as potentially alienating.
Back in the boardroom, Mr. Trump asks each PM to defend their work. Leeza is confident Team Vortex delivered a superior performance. Brandi acknowledges they worked hard but raises concerns about Ian’s temperament. An awkward moment arrives when Johnny and Brandi struggle to recall Infinity’s jingle lyrics on cue — not a good look.
The judges declare Team Vortex the winner. Joan Rivers calls Infinity’s jingle word-heavy and notes the problematic lyric choice, while Eric reports no complaints about Vortex’s entry.
In the boardroom, Mr. Trump asks Brandi whom she recommends firing. She names either herself or Ian but defends Johnny’s contributions. Ian defends his jingle by singing it, but Mr. Trump quickly points out the melody mirrors “La Cucaracha,” which undermines Ian’s credibility and raises legal concerns about originality. After deliberation, Mr. Trump fires Ian Ziering.
The eliminations don’t stop there. Tensions rise as Mr. Trump probes Brandi and Johnny’s performance and responsibility for the loss. Ultimately, Mr. Trump fires Johnny Damon and then, because she was project manager, he also fires Brandi Glanville. After a dominant five-win streak, all three members of Team Infinity are eliminated following this single defeat, leaving a Final Three of Leeza Gibbons, Vivica Fox, and Geraldo Rivera.
Thanks for reading. Check back next week for another recap of The Celebrity Apprentice.