Last week, we had the opportunity to speak with both Clint Robertson and Brandy Kuentzel, the two finalists on this season of The Apprentice, on two separate occasions.  On Monday, three days before the Apprentice finale was shown, we were also joined by Donald Trump himself, who summarized his impressions of the contestants on this season.  On the final task, which aired in two parts on Thursday December 2 and 9, Clint, along with his teammates, Steuart, Mahsa, and Poppy, had to organize a dinner for about 500 people along with a show featuring Liza Minnelli.  Brandy, with her team of Anand, Stephanie, and Liza had to organize a golf tournament for Mr. Trump and many of his high-profile friends.

The day after the finale, and Brandy was revealed as the winner, we spoke to them again, this time without Mr. Trump, to get more insight on their feelings of the contest and where they see themselves going in the future.

Here are the facts about Clint Robertson and Brandy Kuentzel from their NBC Apprentice bios: Clint Robertson, 40 (Austin, Texas), received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Texas Christian University and a Juris Doctorate in Law from Southern Methodist University. Robertson went on to be a successful certified public accountant, real estate attorney and developer to having an estate sale where he was forced to sell a large amount of his family's possessions due to the economy. Robertson and his family now split time between a friend's guesthouse in Weatherford, Texas and another friend's rental house in Post Falls, Idaho. Currently living off of credit, Robertson is also a strong believer in God and spends much of his free time with his wife of 18 years and their three boys.

Brandy Kuentzel, 30 (San Francisco, Calif.), received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UCLA and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School. After working as a corporate attorney for a prestigious international law firm, she co-founded a mobile cupcake business in the San Francisco Bay Area. This entrepreneur is now ready to launch a more challenging and rewarding career. Kuentzel is a vegetarian and an avid supporter of animal rights. She also loves the outdoors and runs several miles a day.

USTOWNHALL SPEAKS TO DONALD TRUMP, CLINT ROBERTSON (runner up) AND BRANDY KUENTZEL (winner) OF THE APPRENTICE 10:

DECEMBER 6:

USTH: My first question is for Donald Trump. When you sized up the contestants at the very beginning of filming, which contestants surprised you as the season went along by doing better than you thought they would, and which contestants did not make it as far as you thought they would?

DONALD TRUMP: I think Liza was a little bit of a surprise. She turned out to be very good, and a lot of people didn't think she would be. She's also a great golfer. You know, I'm a good golfer. Liza's a really good golfer. I mean, like top of the line, collegiate-type golfer and better than that.

And I was actually surprised because I heard she was, but I didn't believe it because I hear everybody's so good, and then I see them, and they can't hit the ball. But she was very impressive in her athleticism and her golf game.

I think that Clint was a little bit of a surprise to be honest with you. I think that he was somebody that was underestimated at the beginning, and he turned out to be a star. I think that to be honest, Steuart was excellent. I mean, we really had some excellent people on the show. Some excellent people. And a couple of them got in trouble, and I think they've redeemed themselves because they're back on the final episode, and they do a fantastic job. 

I think Brandy was looking good right from the beginning. She was sharp. She was smart. She fought tough when she had to. She didn't waste energy. So, we really had some really great contestants, I felt.

USTH: Mahsa has gone on YouTube with a video message saying that she did not lie when she said that Clint told her what the men's team had earned on the pedicab task. First of all, did you see the message and for the final record, Clint, did you reveal to Mahsa before the boardroom sequence what the men had earned on the pedicab task?

CLINT ROBERTSON: You know, because we were not always on film, we were together beforehand, there were several conversations that people had just in talking . And I'm just going to refer you back to that boardroom. Brandy and I, I think, were both the targets of that YouTube clip you're referring to as well as Mr. Trump.

And you know, we were all there. We heard the way it went down. I'm just going to – I'm going to refer you back to that boardroom. I don't think we parsed any words in that boardroom. I know that when I was sitting in there and she told me that I – you can go back and review the episode. When she said that I had told her our numbers first to induce her to tell me her numbers, that was incorrect.

And so, I felt like I had an obligation to clear my name. But I'd – you know, let me just tell you this. Mahsa is on my team this week, and you saw the work she did last week. I think you'll see more of her this week. And let me just tell you, I have nothing bad to say about anybody on my team. They all left it on the field for me, and I hope that comes across this next episode in the actual footage.

DECEMBER 10:

USTH: First of all, Brandy, congratulations on your win. I just want to clarify something first.  Clint, you mentioned that you just found out with America last night who became the apprentice.  So I'm confused about the timeline and about when exactly that final boardroom sequence was filmed.  So can you just give us a little insight as to how long it's been in real-time since the final boardroom and did you guys film two alternate endings – one where you won, one where Brandy won – and then you didn't find out which one got aired until last night or how did that all work?

CLINT ROBERTSON: Well, without going into how sausage was made just suffice it to say that there was plenty of footage to where we could actually be with Mr. Trump and find out yesterday and at the same time have a real ending that we could all have some sense about. So actually yes, we were finished filming just as the rest of the show was filmed. And Brandy and I, it was yesterday when we found out.

USTH: Going into the final boardroom, how confident were each of you that you would be the apprentice?  We'll start with Brandy this time, and then we'll go to Clint for that answer.

BRANDY KUENTZEL: Well, I was confident in the job that my team had done. I had some great teammates – Anand and Liza and Stephanie – and they really did step up to the plate and went to bat for me. It was great to have them behind me. That being said, Clint's an amazing competitor. I think all of America has had the privilege of watching him throughout the season. He's done a wonderful job. And you never know [how things will turn out] in the boardroom. So, I was confident with the job that my team and I had done, but I give an enormous amount of credit to Clint. I knew that he had done a great job as well. And, I think this is a testament to Clint's strengths: Mr. Trump pulled us aside before we watched the show yesterday and said,  "You know what? This has been the toughest decision that I've had to make on The Apprentice since it started. And at this point it could really go to either of you." So, we were neck and neck. I would like to say that I was extremely confident, but Clint is an amazing competitor, and I knew that he had a great chance as well.

CLINT ROBERTSON: Well, to answer that question, and this probably alludes to why we're sitting here and Brandy is the apprentice, and I'm the runner-up, but I had a little bit [of a] different outlook. I had zero doubt since the day I walked off that final task of [the] outcome...which didn't occur. This takes nothing away from Brandy at all. I just feel like from day one, I left it all on the field, and I was confident in my ability. I was confident in what I had done. And, that's probably one of the reasons we're having this conversation today – maybe I overlooked something. And I can't take anything away from Brandy. She absolutely is going to be an amazing spokesperson for Mr. Trump in whatever capacity they put her in. But, yes I – just in all honesty – I really felt like I had walked away with it. But then again, things sometimes don't turn out the way you expect. And I got to tell you, those blessings you don't expect are sometimes the best ones. So, I'm waiting to see what the Lord has in store for me.

USTH: Brandy what are your goals long term? Do you want to find a permanent place within the Trump organization or pursue something outside eventually?

BRANDY KUENTZEL: Well, I think in true apprentice style, this is a several weeklong competition. And now,  the prize is obviously getting the opportunity to work with the Trump organization for a guarantee of one year.

USTH: Right.

BRANDY KUENTZEL: So, I sort of take this next year as an extension of the interview process. And hopefully if Mr. Trump continues to like what I've done, and continue to do, then he'll keep me around for longer.

USTH: Okay great. Clint, were you surprised in the boardroom when Anand said that he would pick Brandy as the apprentice over you? And, did you get a sense of why he felt that way because that part wasn't shown in the edit.

CLINT ROBERTSON: I think you might recall that right before Anand got fired that crazy week – that would have been built up for the cheater and all that – I think you recall Anand and I had a tiff in the war room that was probably a little more in-depth than just the few lines that were shown. He and I had a disagreement over his performance, and I think that probably carried over to the end. I also didn't hide my disappointment in the way the cheating part went down. So, I'm sure there were probably some sour grapes there. From what I understand Anand did a good job in that finale. So hopefully he has moved on beyond that cheater label.

USTH: Thanks to both Clint Robertson and Season 10 Apprentice winner, Brandy Kuentzel, for taking the time to speak with us today.

Use the image gallery below to read the other interviews in this series

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Comedian Ricky Gervais returns for a second stint as host of the Golden Globe Awards, which will be given out on Sunday, January 16, 2011.  This 68th annual ceremony will air live on both coasts, beginning at 8pm Eastern and 5pm Pacific times, from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills where they have been held for the last 50 years.

So what can fans of Mr. Gervais look forward to on this go-round?  The actor promises that he can, and will, take things further this time with his comments to, and about, the various celebrities in the room.  He felt that last year's ceremony went well, but now that he's done it and understands the venue, he can do it much better the second time.  However, he states emphatically that he won't be back for a third.

2011 is also a pivotal year for fans of Mr. Gervais' hit television series, The Office, which will be losing its star, Steve Carell after this season, the series' seventh in May 2011.

US TOWNHALL SPEAKS TO RICKY GERVAIS OF THE OFFICE & THE GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS:

USTH: As you look back on these last seven seasons with The Office, what are your overall feelings about the show and about doing the show on American television – working it in the American television industry and also working with the cast and with Steven Carell?

RICKY GERVAIS: Well, you know, I came to America the first time in 2004 to the Golden Globes and there we'd done our little version of this English sitcom which we were so proud of. We couldn't have been prouder of it because, you know, personally I had never tried my hardest at anything in my life as writing The Office.

And then we went over and we thought we were making up the numbers. And you've got to remember that America is my Mecca in terms of entertainment. Everything I've ever loved on TV and film has come out of America from Laurel & Hardy and the Marx Brothers through Woody Allen who I think brought modern comedy to the movie screen – great works of art in film and in TV.

And the last 10, 15 years TV took on film and beat it on many levels. There is nothing as audacious in TV as The Wire and The Sopranos. And it even beat it as an art form because with the pressure of movies to make their money back in the first three hours of opening, you know, they don't give it time to evolve and it's these focus groups and begging people just to come out and just like it enough to do it again.

Whereas things like The Wire, if The Wire had been based on ratings it would have been canceled. And it's amazing and they kept that up. It's like an art factory those things, like Sopranos and The Wire and so TV had that to give us. It had to give us - there was no pressure. It was much more about the work of art itself as opposed to the industry.

And so to come to America and then win the Golden Globes and then to be asked to do a remake was ridiculous. I didn't even think about it at the time because I thought, "Well nothing's going to come of this." That's me being British. That's how we think, "Nothing will come of this." And then we cast Steve Carell who, by the way I must say joking aside, I always joke about him, I always tease him, I hope people know that I think he is one of the nicest people I've ever met genuinely. There's no one like him. He's untouched by Hollywood. He's untouched by his fame, his cachet. He's just a lovely family man who loves comedy and the work and he's done an amazing job above and beyond the call of duty.

We never knew the remake was going to be this successful. I mean, it's the first successful British remake of a sitcom for 30-odd years, Sanford and Son or All in the Family or something. And they made it happen, that team made it happen. So honestly I don't think anyone has a bad word to say about Steve Carell. And it's a great ensemble cast. They've kept the level up for, you know, 100-odd episodes. It's a success story commercially and in terms of an art form.

And there's differences in this one. It had to be. It's not so steeped in that the realism, it's slightly broader. It hasn't got that existential quality. It's sort of lighter. You know, people are better at their jobs and more fun and all that but that's true. That's the difference between English and Americans really. It has to be that way. It really shows the difference between our two nations, I think, – the English and the American Office.

Americans are told they can be the next President of the United States. British people are told, "It won't happen to you." And it did happen to me. And so it's strange that I've come full circle. It started with The Office and the Golden Globes, and it's just great. So looking back, it's been ridiculous. It's been like a dream. I'm going to wake up and I'm still – I'm 36 still working in my old job. I'm still working in the office where I got the idea from and I'm going to wake up and go, "I just had the best 12-year dream I've ever had."

USTH: That's great. Congratulations on all your success. You've mentioned that you don't like to do comedy that's very safe or anodyne – that you do comedy that has its share of gasps from the audience along with the belly laughs, but that it always comes from a good place that you can justify to a critic.  That being said, what comedians do you enjoy?

RICKY GERVAIS: Oh, I can give you a list. The best – the most exciting stand-up in the world at that moment is Louis C.K. [an American comedian who stars in the FX series, Louie, and also starred in a film that Gervais co-wrote and co-directed, The Invention of Lying]. The bravest most honest comedian out there. He made me look at myself harder. I want to tap into that. Lack of fear. He's got no fear, man. Chris Rock, just incredible. Jerry Seinfeld, you know, the master.

On Friday, December 10, 2010, USA Network premieres a new documentary special hosted by NBC News Special Correspondent, Tom Brokaw.  This project, entitled Tom Brokaw Presents Bridging the Divide, seeks to look beyond the often-inflammatory rhetoric that seemingly saturates the media whenever hot button issues such as immigration, racism, and gay rights are discussed. 

With the help of the 2nd Annual "United or Divided" survey conducted by Geoff Garin of the Democratic-leaning Hart Research Associates and Glen Bolger of the Republican-leaning Public Opinion Strategies, Bridging the Divide seeks to reveal the true feelings of Americans today on various civil and human rights issues that are at the forefront of the American political discussion.

Several vignettes throughout the special highlight the struggles of ordinary people who are fighting bias and discrimination that they feel they are encountering in their own lives.  We meet Luma Mufleh, an American woman born in Jordan, who organized the children of refugee population of Clarkston, Atlanta into a soccer team called The Fugees after the town had denied them access to many of its playing fields.  We meet Charlene Strong, a woman from Washington State who was denied hospital visitation to her dying partner because the hospital did not recognize these same-sex partners as relatives.  Ms. Strong now works around the country fighting for equal treatment of same-sex partners.  Other stories include a single mother whose 11 year old son committed suicide after being bullied, and a woman who had both legs amputated and became a scholar, track athlete, and role model for the disabled.

Mr. Brokaw, Mr. Garin, and Mr. Bolger held a press conference call to discuss the findings of their survey and to preview the documentary.  We were on hand to ask the panel several questions, and the entire interview is presented below in its entirety.  Please excuse the feedback noise in the background as it was the result of several conflicting phone lines on the call.

On Monday, November 15, we spoke to Poppy Carlig, who had been the eleventh contestant fired by Donald Trump on the November 11 episode of The Apprentice.   Poppy elected to be project manager for Fortitude, while Clint volunteered to be project manager for Octane.  The task: to design an in-store display to showcase the new perfume fragrance of Kim Kardashian.  Ms. Kardashian herself judged the results of the two teams, and she found the display created by Poppy, Stephanie, and Liza to be very amateurish and akin to an arts-and-crafts project bedazzled by sequins than the more upscale looking women's vanity-inspired display designed by Steuart from Clint's team.

Since leaving The Apprentice, Poppy has embarked on a relationship in San Francisco with fellow contestant, David Johnson, as revealed in our last interview with David himself.

Here are the facts about Poppy Carlig from her NBC Apprentice bio:  Poppy Carlig, 24 (Richmond, Calif.), a recent Stanford graduate, who has a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology and Master's in Sociology, hasn't been able to secure a full time job in her chosen field.  She was offered a job doing breast cancer research, but unfortunately due to the economic recession, the funding fell through.  Carlig currently lives in Richmond, California with her parents and works as a part time caretaker for her grandmother.  As a competitive synchronized swimmer, making the Olympic training squad and winning 4 NCAA championship titles in college, Carlig is ready to use her competition skills.

USTOWNHALL SPEAKS TO POPPY CARLIG OF THE APPRENTICE 10: 

USTH: Good to speak to you today, Poppy. Now, going back to the first part of the show – the segment where Anand got fired – you guys were all in your street clothes, so it looked like a very different setup than normal.
So just take us through that process. What were you told by the producers before you entered the boardroom, and what did you expect was going to happen in there before Donald Trump revealed that Anand had sent text messages to his friend in violation of the rules of The Apprentice?

POPPY CARLIG: You know, I really was not sure what was going on. We were woken up extremely early that morning.  The people that chaperone us around and move us around, they were hustling and bustling.  So I knew something was going on.  I figured it was just going to be like a corporate restructuring where Mr. Trump switches up the teams again because he wasn't happy.  But then, I heard Mr. Trump bellow from the boardroom, "Bring the contestants in!" And I thought, "Oh boy, we're in really big trouble. We did something very, very wrong."  So I didn't really know what it was – who it was. I just knew that he was very, very angry.

USTH: If you had been in that situation that Anand had been in, and Mr. Trump confronted you that you did something outside of the rules, how would you have handled that situation as opposed to the way Anand did?

POPPY CARLIG: I definitely wouldn't have lied to Mr. Trump.  First of all, it takes a pretty conscious act to sneak a cell phone into The Apprentice.  It also takes a pretty conscious act to text someone when you're project manager.
So, if I would have been in that position and Mr. Trump had confronted me I would say right away, "Yes, I did that, and I messed up."  It's difficult for me to put myself in that situation, though, because I would never do that.

USTH: Moving on to the actual task – creating an in-store display to showcase Kim Kardashian's new perfume.  When you guys were in the boardroom, and Liza looked at the competitor's project – the vanity that Steuart designed – and sort of gushed over it, what were your feelings, first about Liza's strong reaction to the competitor's product, and secondly, what do you think about the other team's project, yourself?

POPPY CARLIG: I thought that Clint's project was phenomenal, and the thoughts in my head were vocalized by Liza.  I knew that we had lost the task the second I saw their product.
The thing that bothered me about Liza is she doesn't really say things at the proper time.  It didn't surprise me that she said that, though.  She did that when we were meeting executives sometimes.  For example, when we met the executive from Perfumania, she openly admitted that she never had even heard of the store.  So, she could use some tact.  That would happen a few times.

USTH: Once the show was over, did you stay in touch or become friendly with any of the contestants – besides David, of course.

POPPY CARLIG: Yes, I have definitely gained some great friendships.  Brandy and I are very close.  We started our friendship on the show, and it has continued.  And she is San Francisco, so it makes it easy to maintain a friendship.

USTH: What are your feelings about Stephanie because, on the show, she said she really liked working with you – that you two compliment each other, but you have said things where it sounded like maybe your feelings about her aren't exactly the same.  Just to clear that up, what is the relationship between you and Stephanie, and how do you feel about her?

POPPY CARLIG: I think that Stephanie and I work well together. I think that is true. I don't think that we work well against one another [on different teams]. You know, throughout the season and the episodes, there were a number of times when she would say things that were less than kind about me or to me.  Taking ownership for ideas and things that maybe I had come up with.  So, I think that she is a great person.  She is someone who I like to hang out with – not necessarily someone who I would want to work with.

USTH: Looking back at the experience on The Apprentice overall, what do you take from that?  And if you could, would you do it all over again?

POPPY CARLIG: I would definitely repeat this experience.  I essentially went through business school, and I also got a scholarship to business school.  So it was a great experience. Overall, I learned maturity, I think.  I really learned that not everyone likes sequins, which is fine.  But, I also found professional passions that I may be interested in.

So, I have no idea where I'm heading, professionally.  I think that this show definitely just opened my eyes to more opportunities because I am young and I have the world in front of me.

The Apprentice airs each Thursday night at 10:00pm Eastern & Pacific / 9:00pm Central on NBC.

Use the image gallery below to read the other interviews in this series

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