'The Celebrity Apprentice' traveling circus can finally be revealed: Herschel Walker, Natalie Gulbis, Scott Hamilton ... make me stop

The Associated Press

Early last October, NBC unveiled the 16-member cast of "Celebrity Apprentice" to reporters. Everyone on hand at the locked-down news conference swore to keep the participants' identities a secret until NBC said "go."

With NBC now issuing its cue Thursday to go public, the major media can take pride at having kept the lid on names like country music's Clint Black, TV personality Khloe Kardashian and former "Baywatch" babe Brande Roderick.

Also vying for the title of "Celebrity Apprentice," when the reality series returns for its eighth season March 1, is former Olympic figure skating gold medalist Scott Hamilton, singer Brian McKnight, comedian Tom Green and former football great Herschel Walker, poker champ Annie Duke, LPGA golfer Natalie Gulbis (above), "Deal or No Deal" model Claudia Jordan, singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and former "Monster Garage" host Jesse James, a custom bike and car builder.

NBC's own Conan O'Brien spilled a few beans during a "Late Night" monologue. After blurting out a couple of the show's players, he cracked, "Apparently the new season of the show is called 'Celebrity Apprentice: 1988.'"

"I have a competitive nature," said Walker, who won the Heisman Trophy as a junior at the University of Georgia, "but this (show) is really different, where some people are conniving and cheating. I say, I'm gonna stay true to my morals ... I tell 'em, I'm just a little country boy from Georgia."