The former governor tried to run a diner as a member of the men's team during that first "Celebrity Apprentice" show on NBC.
Writer-comedian Carol Leifer was the first person fired from the show this season.
Leifer called her fellow female teammates "dumb" on Sunday's premiere. She was deemed the weak link in their initial project: to make more money from a startup diner than their rival team of seven men.
Rock-star wife Sharon Osbourne, singer Cyndi Lauper and actress Holly Robinson Peete are among the women. Next week they face another challenge against a men's team, which includes Blagojevich, baseball great Darryl Strawberry and comedian Sinbad.
The celebrities play for their favorite charities. But they can meet swift ends in the boardroom with the words "you're fired" from "Apprentice" boss Donald Trump.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
