Former sportsman-turned-actor O.J. Simpson is desperate to take part in the next season of The Celebrity Apprentice - and has reportedly asked Donald Trump for the chance to star on the reality show.

The hit U.S. TV show, which sees various celebrities vie for the approval of property mogul Trump, could score a ratings coup if it recruits Simpson, who has been surrounded by controversy since being named a suspect in the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in 1994. He was acquitted of the charges in 1995, but was later found responsible for their deaths in a civil trial held in 1997.

But, according to New York gossip column PageSix, Simpson’s appearance on the show has been met with mixed reactions by the show’s producers.

A source says, "Simpson really wants to do it. Trump and NBC are thinking about it, but are being very cautious. There’s a certain amount of heat associated with Simpson."