Trump taps 'Apprentice' creator Mark Burnett as special UK envoy

Gregory Korte, Bloomberg News on Dec 21, 2024

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WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump named Mark Burnett — the man who created the television show "The Apprentice" that helped catapult him to the presidency — as a special envoy to the U.K.

“With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

The position of special envoy to the U.K. doesn’t currently exist. Trump has already named investment banker Warren Stephens as his ambassador to the Court of St. James’s, a highly coveted diplomatic post that usually goes to top campaign donors.

It’s also unusual because special envoys are usually sent to trouble spots. Trump has named special envoys to the Middle East and Ukraine and tapped former U.S. Ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell as a high-level envoy for “hot spots” like Venezuela and North Korea.

Trump said Burnett’s role would be to “enhance diplomatic relations, focusing on areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment opportunities, and cultural exchanges.”

Burnett, 64, was born in London and is now a naturalized U.S. citizen. The former chair of MGM Worldwide Television Group is perhaps best known for creating Trump’s "The Apprentice" and its spinoff "Celebrity Apprentice," in which job seekers completed tasks in a competition to win favor with the real estate mogul and future president.

Among Burnett’s other productions are "Survivor," "Shark Tank" and "The Voice." With his wife, the actress Roma Downey, he also produced the History Channel series "The Bible."

It’s that last project that has especially endeared him to evangelical Christians in the U.S., where Hollywood is often viewed as antagonistic to religion. Burnett has introduced both former President Barack Obama and Trump at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington.