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Celebrity Apprentice: Clay Aiken, Arsenio Hall Advance to Finale

1337007340_clay aiken arsenio hall article

Here's hoping history doesn't repeat itself for Clay Aiken.

Earning a spot in Donald Trump's final two on The Celebrity Apprentice Sunday, Aiken, 33, will face off against pal Arsenio Hall, 56, for bragging rights on next week's live finale show.

Related: PHOTOS: Stars who were fired from jobs

"I have a bit of deja vu," Aiken admitted after Aubrey O'Day was eliminated in favor of him and Hall in the final two. "I've been known as 'Clay Aiken, American Idol runner-up' for many years now, so I'm going to work hard to change that."

"I am not that heavy!" Hall joked, referring to Aiken's 2003 Idol competitor Ruben Studdard.

Related: PHOTOS: Amazing American Idol makeovers

Challenged to conceptualize, stage and sell tickets to a variety show to benefit their charities, Aiken and Hall (playing for The National Inclusion Project and Magic Johnson Foundation respectively) were able to enlist the help of eliminated contestants to pull off their last task.

One of those eliminated contestants was none other than O'Day, who left the boardroom in a huff just prior to assuming a role on Aiken's team. Eliminated after Trump advisors John Rich and Marlee Matlin declared her "transparent," O'Day couldn't disagree more with the motive behind her firing.

Related: VIDEO: Lisa Lampanelli explodes at Apprentice's Dayana Mendoza

"Whoever called me transparent: f–k them!" she fumed. "I think of all the words I could be called — many are true — and transparent is not one of them," she continued. "There is nothing see-through about me. I'm somebody who stands in your face so bright that you're either intimidated or you're in love."

Later, O'Day channeled her anger to help Aiken plan a carnival-themed variety show and 30-second charity PSA, along with Penn Jillette, Debbie Gibson and Dee Snider. (Lisa Lampanelli, Adam Carolla, Paul Teutul Sr. and Teresa Giudice helped Hall.)

Related: NEWS: 25 things you don't know about Lisa Lampanelli

The completion of the task will be shown on Sunday's live finale, where either Aiken or Hall will receive the equivalent of their show's ticket sales, along with a $250,000 prize for their efforts.

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