The funnyman raised less than the 'American Idol' alum did during their fundraising events, but he managed to make a funny PSA for Magic Johnson Foundation.
- May 21, 2012
AceShowbiz - Donald Trump has picked Arsenio Hall as the winner of "The Celebrity Apprentice" season 5 although the comedian raised only half of the amount raised by the other finalist, Clay Aiken. Admitting that it was a tough decision, Mr. Trump said, "I've never been so torn," before announcing the champion.
For the final task, Arsenio and Clay were tasked to create a celebrity variety show and produce a 30-second PSA for their respective charities with the help of some eliminated contestants. During the preparation, the former "American Idol" runner-up got his team cranky for over-managing everything.
Clay's party had a carnival theme, while Arsenio's was more laid back. The former talk show icon, however, got Whoopi Goldberg lending her helping hand. Clay created a heartfelt PSA, but Arsenio's ad was funnier with Magic Johnson making a cameo.
With Claymates, Kelly Clarkson and Lisa Lampanelli donating for his charity, Clay raised a total of $301,500. Arsenio, meanwhile, raised $167,100 from the likes of Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy and Jimmy Kimmel.
When asked whom they thought should win the competition, Dee Snider, Lisa, Debbie Gibson and Teresa Giudice voted for Clay, but Dayana Mendoza rooted for Arsenio. Mr. Trump also asked both finalists why they thought they should win.
"I've been a runner-up before. I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again," said Clay, referring to his lost to Ruben Studdard in "Idol" season 2. As for Arsenio, he said winning the show was very important for him because he was always number two and needed to be number one.
Also in the season finale airing Sunday, May 20, Mr. Trump brought back ousted contestants to talk about their time on the show. Aubrey O'Day, who was dubbed the "b***h" of this season, explained how she got everyone hating her. "I have been doubted and under-recognized a lot in my career and so I have you know a certain amount of anxiety when it comes to proving myself," she argued.
"You can't combat bad with bad, you have to turn it into a good, and I didn't always do that," she went on claiming before adding, "I apologize for anytime anyone took it personally because I absolutely do not want to offend anyone. I'm competitive and I want to win but I don't want to hurt anyone. I want people to feel better about themselves after leaving me."
