In a conference call on Feb. 19 with Trump, Jackson and Michaels, The State News asked Trump for his take on the season.

The State News: Why do you think the time was right to do the current All Stars edition?
Donald Trump: You know, we’ve had so many people that have done so well on the show. They didn’t win, but they did really well, and they were really liked by the audience because, ultimately, it is about them being liked by the audience. Whether it’s Gary Busey or Dennis Rodman, we have some — just some great people coming back.

Will this be the most dramatic season yet?
I think it’s certainly one of the most dramatic seasons. We have tremendous interest in the season and we, have brought back — including Bret (Michaels) and La Toya (Jackson) — we have brought back some of the people that everybody really likes because it’s an All Star season. And I think yes, it’s a very dramatic season, amazing things happen.

Continued from print edition of The State News

Were you expecting more out of the contestants since they have been through the show before?
I think they became a lot smarter, they understand the system better. We have a couple that did very, very well that frankly I wasn’t expecting as much from and I think they have learned the system a little bit. So, it wasn’t that I was expecting more, I think they have become much smarter.

What do you find appealing about doing the show?
I think, more than anything else, it’s the success of the show…It has just been amazing, you know, how well it has done, and it took people by storm. As you know, it became the number one show in many evenings over the years and it has been just a great success, and it continues to be a phenomenal success for NBC and for me and for us.