“You’re Fired!” Behind The Scenes Of The Apprentice And What It Was Really Like On The Show

Long before Donald Trump was President of the United States, he was the host of NBC’s The Apprentice, sternly yelling “You’re fired!” when contestants got the boot. Billed as “The Ultimate Job Interview,” the show featured a handful of hopeful businessmen and women competing for the chance to apprentice under Trump himself.

Some say that The Apprentice re-introduced Trump to the world as a successful businessman, ultimately starting his trajectory to the White House. In true Trump fashion, the show was not without its share of controversies. Check out these behind-the-scenes facts about the reality show, as well as what it’s really like for contestants on The Apprentice. You won’t believe what really happens when the contestants get fired.

Donald Trump Hated The Idea of The Apprentice

Photo by Frederick M. Brown / Stringer

Today, Donald Trump and The Apprentice are synonymous, but this almost wasn’t the case. Back in 2002, when producer Mark Burnett proposed the reality show idea to Trump, he was not on board…at all. In fact, he absolutely hated the idea and claimed that not only did he not watch reality television, but that it was for “the bottom-feeders of society.”

Burnett was only able to persuade Trump to host the show by telling him it would be a minimal time investment and a great potential for him to promote his personal brand with the younger generation.