Arnold Schwarzenegger to replace Donald Trump on The Celebrity Apprentice

NBC let Trump go after his controversial comments about Mexican immigrants

NBC ended its relationship with Donald Trump after his comments on Mexican immigrants (Getty Images)

With Donald Trump's White House run going from strength to strength, some might say the boundaries between politics, celebrity and business are already blurry enough. And now the announcement of the real estate tycoon's replacement on The Celebrity Apprentice looks set to muddy matters further.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the bodybuilder-turned-movie star-turned-California governor and no stranger to one-liners himself, will have to brush up on his best "you're fired" as he prepares to fill Mr Trump's shoes in 2016.

Mr Trump himself was fired by NBC, the network behind the show, after he made disparaging remarks about Mexican immigrants to the US, saying that many were criminals, rapists and responsible for bringing drugs and violence to America.

Arnold Schwarzenegger From 'I'll be back' to 'You're fired'

A statement from the network at the time said: "At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values.

"Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr Trump."

The Celebrity Apprentice is a spin-off from the original Apprentice series, in which contestants pit their business accumen against one another to be named Mr Trump's assistance, or in the celebrity version, win money for their chosen charity.

In seven seasons, NBC said The Celebrity Apprentice has helped raise more than $15 million for charity.

Donald Trump has not shied away from controversy during his presidential bid, taking strong stances on contentious issues such as immigration and gun rights.

He is, however, currently leading polls as the Republican candidate who voters most want to take on the Democrats in next November's election. A CNN poll put Trump at 32% support among Republicans.