‘Housewives’ star on new ‘Celebrity Apprentice’

Duluth resident Porsha Williams joins this season’s crew.

NBC lost Donald Trump to the political world, but the network wanted to keep the “Celebrity Apprentice” concept around.

So the producers hired a bigname actor who used to be in politics: former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

This meant moving the show to Los Angeles, but the idea is still the same: Celebrities compete in business challenges, typically for major corporations seeking a nice infomercial, and win money for charity. Each week, one celebrity gets “fired.”

Duluth resident and “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member Porsha Williams is part of this season’s crew, which features the usual mix of musicians, athletes, actors and reality stars. Among those competing with Williams: Culture Club lead singer Boy George, pro boxer Laila Ali, TV host Brooke Burke-Charvet, “SNL” vet Jon Lovitz, Motley Crue singer Vince Neil, “Jersey Shore” star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” cast member Kyle Richards.

Williams is the third “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member to compete on “Apprentice” following NeNe Leakes and Kenya Moore.

“My manager wanted me to do it,” Williams said in a recent interview. “I was scared. I was running from it. At the last minute, I agreed to do it. I didn’t know what I was getting into. But I was pleasantly surprised. I did learn a lot about myself.”

She said it was much more intense than shooting “Real Housewives,” with 16- to 18-hour days. The only time away from the cameras was to sleep, and even then, she was often distracted by thinking about the challenges. “It just doesn’t stop,” she said. “By 9 or 10 p.m., I’m delirious. I’m tired. I’m irritated. All that is captured on camera. That’s when we see how people act under pressure.”

Williams, who has been on “Real Housewives” since season

five, calls herself “very competitive. I think that’s where the pressure came. I wanted to make sure I was doing my best. You have to work hard and stand by your work.”

Not surprisingly, Williams — the granddaughter of civil rights legend Hosea Williams — was competing to win money for his charity Hosea Helps (formerly known as Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless). “Even at my most exhausted, I kept my eye on the prize,” she said. “My family’s charity is so close to my heart.”

She knew Hosea — who passed away in 2000 — would have been great on the show. “My grandfather was unbossed,” she said. “He wouldn’t let anybody tell him not to do something. He’d rally everyone together. He was passionate about his causes.”

Williams punted on any questions regarding Trump. “My job was to focus on raising money. It wasn’t about politics,” she said.

This version of “Celebrity Apprentice” was shot in March in Marina del Rey, Calif. Like previous seasons, there will be a live finale once the pre-taped episodes air.

NBC did not send out a screener in advance, but clearly, the Los Angeles vibe will be far different than the Manhattan-focused Trump version.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote that “a bust of the former California governor greets contestants in the lobby of the set, laid out much like a working office in a spot vacated by a startup.”

And just the fact Trump still has an executive producer title and profit participation has some antiTrump types upset.

“I come from a marketing mentality, and the most important thing is that every American knows this show is coming on,” Schwarzenegger said during a press conference in December. “I hope everyone chills and just sees the show for what it is.”

His “exit” catchphrase has yet to be revealed. In fact, he taped multiple farewells in each episode just to keep it tight. A likely candidate is from his iconic movie “Terminator 2”: “Hasta la vista, baby.”

Porsha Williams