Schwarzenegger halted his acting career in 2003 to serve two terms as governor of California
Arnold Schwarzenegger has made his debut as the new star of The Celebrity Apprentice, a role he inherited from US President-elect Donald Trump.
The veteran action star made his mark on the US TV show by replacing Trump’s “You’re fired” catchphrase with a more idiosyncratic “You’re terminated”.
Boy George, Jon Lovitz and Motley Crue singer Vince Neil are among the stars competing to raise money for charities.
Mr Trump retains an executive producer credit on the NBC series.
According to the New York Times, the real estate mogul turned TV star and politician was a “ghostly presence” that was “sorely missed”.
Schwarzenegger, wrote its critic Mike Hale, exuded “robotic professionalism” but was hampered by “cautiousness and rigidity”.
The Telegraph, though, felt he was “more than qualified” to act as the “fake head of a fake business sitting in a fake boardroom”.
“He may not have Trump’s business experience, but as a potential boss, he’s a hell of a lot more intimidating,” wrote TV Line’s Andy Swift.
Entertainment Weekly, meanwhile, said it was “nice” to see Schwarzenegger “following Trump’s lead in the nepotism department” by appointing his nephew as one of his advisors.
During Mr Trump’s time on The Apprentice and its celebrity spin-off, his children Donald Jr and Ivanka frequently appeared as guest hosts and advisors.
“You’re terminated” refers to Schwarzenegger’s role as a killer cyborg in 1984’s The Terminator and its numerous sequels.
The 69-year-old former bodybuilder halted his Hollywood career in 2003 to serve two terms as governor of California.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.