'The Apprentice' sources spill behind-the-scenes bombshells including Trump's stinky office and diva antics

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Behind the scenes of 'The Apprentice,' Donald Trump's billionaire image was carefully orchestrated, according to insiders and producers who worked on the show.

A report from The New York Times reveals that the persona presented to millions of viewers was a far cry from the reality of Trump's business empire.

Producers revealed that Trump, selected by show creator Mark Burnett in 2003 mainly for his tabloid fame, was not the successful, hands-on entrepreneur depicted on the show.

'The Apprentice' producers were shocked by the state of Donald Trump's stinky office

When producers first visited Trump Tower in 2003 to scout it as a shooting location, they were shocked by the state of the office.

Instead of the opulent setting one might expect from a billionaire, they discovered wooden desks with chips, musty carpets, and fewer than 50 employees working at the Trump Organization headquarters.

Bill Pruitt, one of the show's producers, recalled, "When you go into the office and you’re hearing 'billionaire,' even 'recovering billionaire,' you don’t expect to see chipped furniture, you don’t expect to smell carpet that needs to be refreshed in the worst, worst way."

During the early 2000s, Trump was emerging from a decade marked by financial turmoil, including multiple bankruptcies tied to his various businesses.

His Atlantic City casinos had struggled, and many of his real estate and golf course ventures were hemorrhaging money.

Despite this, Trump was rebranded on 'The Apprentice' as a comeback king.

Producer Jonathan Braun told The New York Times, "Our job was to make him look legitimate, to make him look like there was something behind it, even though we pretty much all knew that there wasn’t — but that was our job."

'The Apprentice' was scripted to create illusion of Donald Trump's business prowess

Much of 'The Apprentice' was scripted to create an illusion of Donald Trump's business prowess. The show’s producers rented out a space in Trump Tower to create a fake boardroom where Trump would deliver his iconic catchphrase, "You're fired!"

Burnett initially approached other famous moguls like Warren Buffett and Richard Branson before selecting Trump.

Yet, it was the network executives who managed the day-to-day operations, crafting Trump’s image as a high-flying billionaire.

The opening segment of the show, 'Meet the Billionaire,' was filmed to reintroduce Trump to the American public.

This segment showcased the New York City skyline as Trump narrated his story of overcoming crippling debt.

The camera showcased struggling Trump ventures, including his Atlantic City casinos, Trump Ice (a failed bottled water company), and Trump Place (an apartment building named after him but not managed by the Trump Organization).

"About 13 years ago, I was seriously in trouble. I was billions of dollars in debt. But I fought back, and I won, big league. I used my brain. I used my negotiating skills, and I worked it all out," Trump narrated, presenting an image of victory and resilience.

Donald Trump would often fire contestants on a whim on 'The Apprentice'

Producers admit they played a pivotal role in shaping Donald Trump's public persona.

Pruitt said, "We were making him out to be royalty in almost every opportunity. It was our mission to make sure that everybody watching understood that to work for him would be a big deal."

Trump's role in the actual running of the show was minimal; he would show up to add drama when needed, often firing contestants on a whim.

Katherine Walker, one of the producers, revealed that Trump would "fire the absolute wrong person" because he was not involved in the contestants' tasks and "had no idea what was going on."

The show’s editors often had to reverse-engineer episodes to make Trump's decisions seem less arbitrary.

Braun explained, “Our job was to reverse engineer the show and make him not look like a complete moron,” by editing the losing contestant’s footage “to make the person he fired look not as good.”

This manipulation was crucial to maintaining Trump's authoritative image, ensuring he appeared as a decisive leader rather than an unstable figurehead.