"The Celebrity Apprentice:" Who's pulling the strings?

Clay Aiken on "The Celebrity Apprentice."

/ NBC

(CBS News) "The Celebrity Apprentice" contestants may have been performing puppet shows on stage this week, but most of the drama took place behind closed doors. (SPOILER)

Pictures: "The Celebrity Apprentice"

And ironically, the most laid-back, drama-free contestant in the group - motorcycle enthusiast Paul Teutul Sr. - was fired by host Donald Trump.

Fireworks began almost immediately when Lisa Lampanelli returned from last week's boardroom crowing about the dismissal of Lou Ferrigno. Clay Aikin thought that was a tad harsh and Lampanelli turned her venom on him.

It looked as if the enmity might continue unabated when Trump moved Aikin to Lampanelli's team, but instead the comedienne chose to continue her harassment of former Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza.

The two appeared to be working well together last week, when Mendoza was project manager, but this week Lampanelli, who stepped up as project manager, reverted to her usual pattern of marginalizing the beauty queen and then accusing her of doing little.

Teutul agreed to be project manager for the other team, even though he had no performance experience. The others all agreed to step up to the plate. Aubrey O'Day, accused of taking control of every task her team is assigned, toned it down this week, and even her chief critic - Arsenio Hall - took notice.

The task involved creating two puppets and using them in an improv puppet show for adults. On one team Lampanelli and Aikin handled the puppets and magician Penn Jillette was host; on the other, Hall and Teresa Giudice played with the puppets and O'Day was host.

Here are some questions that occurred to me:

Who knew Aiken was so good at improv? He was performing with Lampanelli who has a 22-year career in the comedy business, and his joke stole the show.

Could Giudice be any dumber? She obviously doesn't know what a syllable is; she can't correctly recite the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme; and she immediately breaks what has been stressed as the chief rule of improv - always say yes.

When did Lampanelli get a heart? In the boardroom, she broke down into tears and told Trump that if her team lost (it didn't) she would come back to the boardroom alone.

Why was Trump so harsh about Hall's performance? The judges said he had performed solidly, yet Trump kept demeaning it. In the end, he fired project manager Teutul because he gave Hall a pass and took Giudice and O'Day back instead.

What did you think of this two-hour episode? Take our poll, discuss in the comments below and return here next week for more commentary.

18 Photos

"The Celebrity Apprentice"

[forrealagain]

Teresa is now using us all to help her get rich by saying she loves, loves, loves Pearlbrite teeth whitening so much that she became an owner. Pearlbrite is a generic teeth whitening product bought by the company and then packaged with their name on it so in other words you can buy the same product just a different name on the internet (there are many) there is nothing unique and Teressa gets paid big cash payouts according the the Securities Exchange Commission's filings, and also she gets cheap stock which she sells at a high because the innocent public is buying stock while Teressa and other insiders, including their family members are selling. Nothing new here, this is the same trick used by the company President Leonard M Tucker in the past. I believe Leonard M Tucker is still living the high life in Boca Raton Florida. He is a convicted felon for you guessed it for stock manipulation. He served time in Federal Prison. FD Roberts Securities was the Penny Stock brokerage firm and Leonard M Tucker, who was the Chairman, was shut down by the Government. Mr. Tucker is banned for life from being a stock broker so now he decides to become President of a Public Company get a person of such high integrity as Teressa to say I love, love, love this product so much, I became an owner. Your fans Teressa deserve more loyalty from you,
UPDATE: The public company Delta Entertainment that ownes Pearlbrite has just been DELISTED and is now on the PINKSHEETS where the worst scam stocks are listed. . .at least they are now where they have a lot in common with their peer stocks. Wow Teressa will get herself involved with even ex cons as long as she makes money she doesn't care if her fans loose out. Do your research and educate yourself on Leonard Tucker from Boca Raton and Pink Sheet Stocks. Disgusting

[Pat-e-cake]

Who is going to finish.....
I believe Clay Aikens is a good, fair, player and will be in the last 3......
Aubrey O'Day will slice and dice to the very end..but will not win..
Not Sure...could be Arseno or Lisa...???

Let the best player win...........

[Pat-e-cake]

I believe Lisa (Project Manager) made the right choice....Dayanna...
who talk's broken english...has no exsperiance in theater or stage.
Also...this was a 3 person project....Dayanna would have to be the gofor this round....But oh,no, Dayanna got all pissed-off and mad, then caused a big scene.....crying and saying Lisa is picking on her.
Lisa can and does come on strong....but just a minute....Lisa is up
against...young, beautiful, woman. STRIKE ONE....Lisa has to fight
for every step and place in this game.....can or will she ever get
any backing from the men....NOT...STRIKE TWO...Lisa is on her own...
Also...over the pass few weeks....Project Managers...who won were given the money for there charities....$20,000 + other money from the
winning sponsers total's sometimes were as high as $30,000 to $60,000
but Lisa got only $20,000 I feel this is unfair reguardless of whom the winner is, if there is extra money given out next week, Mr Trump
needs to top up Lisa's charity.
Lisa Lampanelli has been around for the pass 23 years...and in all fairness it could have not been easy..cut Lisa some slack and we all
will see who last's until the end......

[TinTurnip]

Actually, Dayanna didn't say a WORD about being on stage when Lisa went all nuts on her. It was Clay Aiken (obviously unaware of the past dynamic between Lisa and Dayanna) who suggested she bring the box of props on stage, since she was wearing black and didn't have anything else to do. And in response to that suggestion, Lisa had a meltdown and attacked Dayanna.

[Pat-e-cake]

Paul Sr should not have been fired.....it should have been Teresa....
Paul Sr admitted he had no exsperience with acting or theater and his team should have help to support this....Arsenio and Aubrey new
the ropes and in my eyes done a good job.....Teresa made out like she
could go with the flow but infact blew it....Aubrey who is always 3 steps ahead of everyone else...knew....Paul Sr is a favorite and could go to the end....so he needed to go....Aubrey stuck with Teresa
and Paul Sr got Trumpted....
Watch out Teresa Aubrey.....is...not...your...friend... you are a weak player so you get to stay for another week or so....then she will toss you under the bus.....Aubrey is in this to win..by hook or crook....she will get rid of each and everyone of you....because Aubrey believes...she is the smartest...works the hardest...and she deserves to win Celebrity Apprentice.....Aubrey is sly and cunning and she does not care who she stabs in the back...........

[Dagmar48]

I have seen Lisa on HBO and the like and she was okay....but she has obviously taken her act to the show...what a crass, rude, unlikable person!!!!! I'm shocked,and believe me when I say I'm not easily shocked...I feel very uncomfortable even watching her......Aubrey is another one, can she really believe all the things she thinks about herself????????

[Debk4142]

If Clay Aiken does not win this show, something is truly wrong.

I can see Donald favoring Arsenio, but I don't know why, unless he promised him a win if he would be on the show. There is no comparison. Even Penn, and nasty Lisa and Aubrey have done far more than he. I don't get it.
Was very surprised at how bright, witty and fair Clay is on Celebrity Apprentice. Always knew he could sing really, really well, but this is a welcome side to him, I have not experienced before.

Puppet night was a HUGE night for Clay. He was far funnier than Lisa and Arsenio, and far better than Theresa.

[Debk4142]

Sorry for the repeat post. Don't know how to remove it.

[Debk4142]

If Clay Aiken does not win this show, something is truly wrong.

I can see Donald favoring Arsenio, but I don't know why, unless he promised him a win if he would be on the show. There is no comparison. Even Penn, and nasty Lisa and Aubrey have done far more than he. I don't get it.
Was very surprised at how bright, witty and fair Clay is on Celebrity Apprentice. Always knew he could sing really, really well, but this is a welcome side to him, I have not experienced before.

Puppet night was a HUGE night for Clay. He was far funnier than Lisa and Arsenio, and far better than Theresa.

[GwennieGail]

I am familiar with Lisa's performances watching various comic roasts. I'd love to make a rude remark about blow torches but let's just say I do not find her entertaining. Watching her on the Apprentice is sad; the woman is a total narcissist who can't look another woman in the eye. I don't care how successful she is, she's miserable and needs help. My comment comes from a place of caring, not criticism.
If Clay's skill set has caught you off guard, you will continue to be amazed with all he brings to the stage and table. Redheads are funny!

[brattyzs]

LISA AND AMBREY..........YOU'RE FIRED......!!

I can't believe Lisa is a comedian, would never attend one of her shows and now that I know who Ambrey is, would never watch anything she does, she and this Lisa are truely ugly women.
The Donald needs to step up since the men are afraid of these awful women.

[Alex_Galen]

Lisa is narcissistic and she is definately a psychological bully.
I have 0 tolerance for Lisa and Aubrey. They are both narcisstic, unattractive wanna be divas. Lisa's behavior is totally abusive, last week with Lou (a disabled person, please!) and often with Dayanna. I will never attend any more of her shows for her true colours have been revealed. I hope people do boycott Lisa's shows. I give Dayanna kudos for being a lady and not stooping to Lisa's low vibrational level.

[brattyzs]

I can not believe these b's.....are still there. I don't even know who this Ambrey and Lisa are, never have seen them before Apprentice, but they needed to go long ago, with those other two.I hope Diana or Teresa,take the whole darn thing just to shut those women up. The remaining men are just to nice and seem afraid of these 2 awful women. They really give women a bad name, think they're for real?