NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Nice guys, suggests an old adage, finish last. Not so for Trace Adkins on "The Celebrity Apprentice," but he didn't finish first either, as British TV personality Piers Morgan, who Donald Trump described as "ruthless," won the series finale last night on NBC.
Trace had plenty of support. Ronnie Milsap, Montgomery Gentry's Eddie Montgomery and Lonestar's Dean Sams all showed up at the Backstreet Boys charity concert that represented the final task. Dean presented a $10,000 check for charity to Trace, and Ronnie handed over a $5,000 check from the Grand Ole Opry. Trump's daughter, Ivanka, also chipped in $6,000 at auction for dinner with Trace.
Trace had to have his arm twisted a bit to commit to doing "Apprentice," but in the end, he enjoyed the experience.
"I'm not gonna miss the boardroom," he says, "but Donald Trump is kinda cool. I found it refreshing that that persona that you've seen on television is — that's who he is. That's not an act. There's something about that that I found kind of refreshing. He'd blow his hair to show us that it's real. He does have a lighter side to him. He does have a sense of humor."
Trace performed his current single, "You're Gonna Miss This," on the show. And it did so much for his image and recognizability that it's likely other country artists are already lining up to participate for next season's "Celebrity Apprentice," which has already gotten a green light from NBC.