Donald Trump has said that Joan Rivers will not be cut from the upcoming season of Celebrity Apprentice.

Rivers - who famously won the reality competition in 2009 - passed away following complications from throat surgery in September.


The iconic comic filmed a guest appearance as an advisor for Celebrity Apprentice's new season, with Trump vowing that her scenes will air.

"Some people thought maybe should we take her out," he told Access Hollywood.

"We decided to do [it] in memoriam because she was so incredible for the two episodes and it would be almost unfair to take her out.

"I think she would be very happy as she looks down and says, 'Good. I'm glad they left me in'. I think it is paying great respect to having Joan on."

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The Celebrity Apprentice returns to NBC on January 4, 2015.

Contestants include Johnny Damon, Kate Gosselin, Kevin Jonas, Ian Ziering and Brandi Glanville.

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Justin Harp

Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.