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Get ready for the ultimate showdown in the Season 18 finale of “The Apprentice,” airing on BBC One at 9:00 Pm this Thursday, April 18th. In this thrilling episode, the finalists will go head-to-head in a battle to win Lord Sugar’s coveted £250,000 investment and become his new business partner.

With the stakes higher than ever, the finalists will be put through their paces as they launch their business, create a brand for their company, produce a digital billboard, and shoot and edit a TV advert. With the help of some familiar faces, they’ll need to demonstrate creativity, strategy, and leadership to impress Lord Sugar and industry experts.

Tensions will run high as the finalists pitch their business plans at a prestigious black-tie event, with everything on the line. Who will rise to the occasion and secure Lord Sugar’s investment? Tune in at 9:00 Pm on Thursday, April 18th,...

Get ready for an intense episode of “The Apprentice,” airing on BBC One this Thursday at 9:00 Pm. In Season 18, Episode 11, titled “Interviews,” the competition reaches its penultimate stage as the final five candidates face off against Lord Sugar’s most trusted advisors in one-to-one interviews.

As the pressure mounts, the candidates’ business plans are put under the microscope, their CVs scrutinized, and any white lies exposed. With so much at stake, tensions run high as the candidates battle it out to secure their spot in the final.

Expect plenty of drama and high-stakes decision-making as the advisors grill the candidates on their skills, experience, and suitability for Lord Sugar’s investment. Back in the boardroom, the semi-finalists will be revealed, setting the stage for the ultimate showdown in the series finale.

Don’t miss out on the excitement and suspense of “The Apprentice,” as the final five candidates vie...

Get ready for another exhilarating episode of “The Apprentice” as Week Eight unfolds with Episode 8, titled “Xbus Advertising,” airing this Thursday at 9:00 Pm on BBC One. In this high-stakes installment, the candidates face the daunting task of branding an electric vehicle and devising an advertising campaign to pitch to a panel of industry experts.

As the pressure mounts, one team finds themselves veering off course as they drive their advert into comic chaos, while their rivals struggle with a confusing ad that receives the red light for its poor location and lackluster storytelling. With time ticking away and tensions running high, the candidates must rally their creativity and strategic thinking to salvage their campaigns and impress the discerning judges.

In the boardroom, sparks fly as Lord Sugar and his advisors assess the candidates’ performances, leading to a dramatic showdown as one contestant hits the brakes on their journey to...

The competition is heating up as “The Apprentice” returns with Season 18, Episode 2, titled “Cheesecakes.” Set your reminders for Thursday, February 8, 2024, at 10:00 Pm on BBC Two, because this episode promises to be a delectable treat for viewers.

In this exciting episode, Lord Sugar sets a mouthwatering challenge for the candidates. They must roll up their sleeves and dive into the world of miniature cheesecake manufacturing. Their mission: to sell these delectable delights to both the public and a corporate client. The team that rakes in the most profit will emerge victorious.

As the episode unfolds, one team faces a crumbling challenge with their fruity creation, while the other team struggles to keep their financial figures in check. The kitchen heats up as the candidates strive to prove their business acumen and culinary skills.

In the high-stakes boardroom showdown, one team will face intense scrutiny, and on the losing side, Lord...

The Apprentice has defended itself from viewer complaints that its latest episode was too “nasty”.

On Thursday (16 March), the reality series aired its penultimate episode, which shows the final five candidates receive a grilling from Lord Sugar’s trusty aides, including Claude Littner and Linda Plant.

However, viewers have complained that the episode, which is usually a fan favourite, was particularly harsh this year, with many saying they felt the contestants were being “bullied” by the interviewers.

However, a spokesperson for the series said in response: “The interviews round is more than just a normal interview. Its purpose is to help determine whose business plan has the potential to secure the £250k investment.

“As such, every detail must be thoroughly scrutinised and advisors will at times need to ask difficult questions. The stakes are high for candidates and emotions do run high as they want to secure a place in the final.

The Apprentice has angered viewers with its latest round of dreaded interviews.

Every series, the penultimate episode shows the final five candidates receive a grilling from Lord Sugar’s trusty aides, including Claude Littner and Linda Plant.

By the end of the episode, the candidates had been whittled down to just two.

This particular episode has regularly been considered a fan favourite among viewers – but viewers have complained that this year’s edition was far too harsh.

Joining Littner and Plant were Mike Souter and Baroness Karren Brady, who sits alongside Sugar in the boardroom.

Brady found herself at the centre of one of the episode’s most brutal moments. As Megan Hornby left her interview, which went dreadfully, she referred to Brady by her first name, to which Brady responded: “It’s Baroness Brady to you. My friends call me Karren.”

She also reduced two of the candidates to tears,...

Gary Lineker has been a major topic of discussion for days, following his tweet in response to Suella Braverman’s immigration bill.

Last week, the government announced a new policy to halt small boat crossings. It will result in the deportation of asylum seekers who arrive via boat to Rwanda or another “safe third country” without hearing their asylum claim.

Reacting to the news, Lineker expressed his distaste for the decision and responded to someone who pushed back on his view on Twitter.

He wrote: “There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries.

“This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I’m out of order?”

After questions were raised about whether the football pundit had broken BBC’s impartiality rules with his social media use,...

The Apprentice has return to the BBC for another series without Claude Littner.

Littner made a grand return after taking a year off in 2022 when he almost lost his leg following a horrific injury.

However, Lord Alan Sugar was forced to drop his aide once again just one episode into the latest run.

Speaking at a press launch for the series, multiple outlets reported Sugar as saying: “Unfortunately, Claude suffered some medical issues and so I was asked to think of someone else.”

He opted for series one winner Tim Capmbell, who stepped into Littner’s shoes for the previous outing, which aired in 2022.

“Who better than somebody who’s actually been through the process?” Sugar said of his decision.

“It was a bit of a no-brainer really because when it comes to making the excuses that these candidates do, you’ve got Tim there, who’s seen it and heard it all.

The great attraction of The Apprentice – charm is too strong a term for it – is the always vast gap between the Bezos/Musk/Gates level-aspirations of the competitors and their dismally limited abilities. The unspoken foundational irony of The Apprentice has always been that if any of these characters had any real entrepreneurial instinct, they’d be doing the equivalent of what the young Alan Sugar was doing when he started out in the 1960s, and selling car aerials up and down the Charing Cross Road. They’d be too busy slaving away on their new website, chasing orders and “encouraging” their staff to work harder, to muck around with some superannuated reality TV show.

Which is my way of welcoming series 17 of the Alan Sugar show. And the contestants don’t let us down. The show’s producers seem to be engaged in battle against the law of diminishing returns.

The Apprentice is returning to the BBC after a year off the air – but it will mostly be without Claude Littner.

Littner made a grand return after taking a year off in 2022 when he almost lost his leg following a horrific injury.

However, Lord Alan Sugar was forced to drop his aide once again just one episode into the latest run.

Speaking at a press launch for the series, multiple outlets reported Sugar as saying: “Unfortunately, Claude suffered some medical issues and so I was asked to think of someone else.”

He opted for series one winner Tim Capmbell, who stepped into Littner’s shoes for the previous outing, which aired in 2022.

“Who better than somebody who’s actually been through the process?” Sugar said of his decision.

“It was a bit of a no-brainer really because when it comes to making the excuses that these candidates do, you’ve got Tim there,...

The Apprentice’s Claude Littner was so overwhelmed by the vicious arguing between this year’s candidates that he had to “lay down in a dark room”, Karren Brady has said.

The business competition series returns to our screens this week, with 18 new and ambitious hopefuls competing in hope of impressing Lord Alan Sugar and securing a £250,000 business investment from him.

You can find out more about the 2023 candidates here.

Sugar is assisted by Brady and Tim Campbell, while his former aide Littner will return for two episodes of this series.

Appearing on The One Show on Tuesday (3 January), West Ham vice-chair Brady admitted that the arguments between the contestants had been too much for Littner to handle on his return.

“I know Claude said that the bickering got so bad, I saw him at the end of the very first day and he literally had to lay down in a dark room,...

Dave Lawrie Oct 4, 2017

The Apprentice is back! Here's one geek's moral struggle with his enduring love of the BBC reality game show...

The start of a new series of The Apprentice always seems to creep up on me. Somehow it isn’t until I hear Prokofiev’s Dance Of The Knights blasting through my living room on the first trail that I become aware of its imminent arrival, and it always fills me with the same feeling of slightly shameful excitement. I’m really not a fan of the term ‘guilty pleasure’, as nobody should be made to feel guilt simply for enjoying something that the cool kids don’t, but The Apprentice is the only show I can think of that I genuinely feel bad for enjoying so much. It’s easy to see it as a parade of wankers who you wouldn’t want to sit near on a train,...

'The Apprentice's Ruth Whiteley has compared Karren Brady and Claude Littner to a pair of lions. The 47-year-old owner of a sales training consultancy - who was sacked by Lord Alan Sugar on last night's (28.10.15) episode of the show - has confessed that while she got on well with his advisors during the tasks, she felt they turned their backs on her in the boardroom. Asked if she was intimidated by them, Ruth exclusively told Bang Showbiz: ''They're human, you know, they have a bit of lunch and you do get a bit of repartee and banter with them but equally,...

There's been some extra Apprentice drama tonight (October 28), with Selina Waterman-Smith revealing she's broken her contract with the show.

After this evening's episode showed Selina having a boardroom disagreement with Karren Brady and Claude Littner, the contestant tweeted to say she wouldn't be appearing on spinoff You're Fired when her time comes to leave the series.

Ok I'm going to address the situation tonight: Karren was clearly jealous of my dress and Claude of my hair #theapprentice

— SelinaWatermanSmith (@selinawatermans) October 28, 2015

"Ok I'm going to address the situation tonight: Karren was clearly jealous of my dress and Claude of my hair," she tweeted.

She then wrote: "On another note, I've broken contract with the show and I'm not doing You're Fired - might be why they're attacking me so much! Idiots."

The second tweet has since been deleted, but here it is screengrabbed below:

The Apprentice 2015: You won't believe the...

The Apprentice's latest fired candidate Ruth Whiteley has a very unusual theory about why she couldn't sell anything during tonight's pet exhibition task.

The 47-year-old consultant was let go tonight after not being able to shift a single cat tower at the London Pet Show, but she told Digital Spy that she thinks a new hairdo might be to blame.

"Do you know what I put it down to?" she joked. "Every task that I survived, I had my hair tied back. And in that task, I thought, 'No, all the girls in the house get to let their hair down – they're all curling it, tonging it, flicking it, drying it'. And I thought, 'Right, today I'm going to go with my hair down'. That's it – I jinxed myself. Isn't it amazing how a professional businesswoman boils down to her hair bobble?"

Ruth - who admitted that she feels...

The Apprentice returned tonight for its 11th series. That's right: we've had 10 full runs of bonkers business speak, appalling acumen and Primark suits. Yet the candidates have still learnt nothing.

Tonight's premiere ushered in 18 new, innocent Apprentice babies - all eagerly spouting waffle about being Swiss army knives, disgustingly ambitious and Hugh Hefner-esque ("If my boyfriend said he wanted to be like Hugh Hefner I'd kick him where it hurt," one female candidate noted).

But all the big talk can only go so far, and even a simple task such as buying fish, tarting it up and flogging it to members of the public can see these paragons of the business world crumble.

Even choosing team names was a debacle. Poor Charleine suggested Illustrious but was overruled by Scott's pitch of Team Versatile, leaving her cheering the new name with less enthusiasm than Lord Sugar going to Piers Morgan's for dinner.

Dan Callaghan has become the first candidate to be fired by Lord Sugar on The Apprentice this year.

The 23-year-old - who is currently the director of a fragrance company - found himself at the end of Lord Sugar's fearsome finger after a shambles of a fish-selling task.

Dan's team Connexus - led by project manager April Jackson - attempted to sell quality fishcakes and salad nicoise, but struggled to shift their products at high prices and took ages in the kitchen.

In the end, they made a miserly profit of just £1.87, described as "pathetic" by Karren Brady and "disgusting" by Lord Sugar.

April brought Dan and Brett Butler-Smythe back into the Boardoom, explaining that Dan failed to sell anything and held them up when it came to ordering ingredients, while Brett was attacked for sticking too rigidly to the specification for the fishcakes.

Dan admitted that sales...

Karren Brady has revealed that she turned down a role on Dragons' Den because she doesn't think of herself as a celebrity.

Speaking to Digital Spy and others, the businesswoman revealed that BBC One hit The Apprentice is the only television show she'll ever do.

"I was asked to do Dragons' Den when it first started," she said. "But I don't consider myself a television celebrity which is why I don't do any other television. I'm a CEO running a business.

"I do The Apprentice because one, I like it, and two, I really enjoy spending my time with Alan and now with Claude [Littner]. But I'm not looking to do any more television. Which is why everything else I get offered, which is at least one or two things a week, I say no to."

And Brady revealed that nothing has ever tempted her, either, saying: "I've been offered my own show,...

The Apprentice is back this week and we are so ready for a new batch of entrepreneurs spouting nonsense and selling rubbish. Now that this is the 11th series, though, we've spotted a few things that seem to keep happening:

1. A candidate says: "That was myself, Lord Sugar"

The Word Is 'Me'.

2. Narrator Mark Halliley finishes a long and winding sentence with a candidate's name

"Searching for fishfingers and goggles in a backstreet in London with time running out, project manager... Derek."

3. There's a helicopter shot of the city

And the Shard still doesn't look finished.

4. Karren Brady complains about the candidates wasting a lot of time

She'll be bringing that up in the Boardroom.

5. Lord Sugar says "resoomay"

(Hoping and praying he doesn't ever say "CV".)

6. The candidates talk into the bottom of their phones

"Don't hold it that way!" as the late, great Steve Jobs once said.

7. Lord Sugar...

The next seven days are just bursting with quality television, with almost too many of our telly favourites making a triumphant return.

The Apprentice, The Walking Dead, Tfi Friday and The Returned are all back - and that's just the start. Make sure to tune in, or set your DVR, for this little lot.

1. The Apprentice - Wednesday / Thursday, 9pm on BBC One

Lord Sugar's search for his next business partner... begins. A new roster of budding entrepreneurs are looking to impress Shugs, Karren Brady and - replacing Nick Hewer - the formidable Claude Littner. And as ever, there's some prize berks among them.

One candidate even compares himself - without a hint of irony - to Martin Luther King Jr. We predict his dream of business success might not come true.

2. The Walking Dead - Monday, 9pm on Fox UK

One of Us TV's best drama series, and certainly one of its goriest,...

Claude Littner has opened up about his new role as Lord Sugar's aide on The Apprentice - but dismissed any fears that he might start forming an emotional connection to the candidates.

Speaking at the press launch today, Littner admitted that it was "very different" being an aide as opposed to being confined to the interviews section of the show, but laughed off suggestions that he saw the candidates in a new light.

The Apprentice: Meet the 18 candidates hoping to impress Lord Sugar

"I don't tend to get emotional about anything," he said. "I'm really there as an observer – I'm not their friend. I'm not trying to tell them what to do. It's just me observing, trying not to show any emotion at all at some of the decisions they make and then reporting back."

Asked if there was anything he was afraid of, Littner replied: "I don't think so.

It's almost time again for Lord Sugar's close-up: The Apprentice, half-arsed business simulator and all-round highlight of the TV calendar, is fast approaching. But what can you expect when it returns for its (*checks watch*) 11th series? And will the contestants still be giving 110%?

First things first, when is The Apprentice back?

Well, we guessed October 14 as it's the week after the Great British Bake Off final - and we were right! BBC One has confirmed that the show will be back with its first episode on Wednesday, October 14 at 9pm. But that's not all, because we'll be treated to a second episode the next day on Thursday, October 15 at 9pm. Start getting your snacks ready now.

Is Lord Sugar back?

Obviously. But while Karren Brady is returning, Nick Hewer announced at the end of last year that he wouldn't be coming back (and we're very upset about it...

Lord Sugar is back in the boardroom for The Apprentice, and there's a fresh crop of candidates hoping to impress the Amstrad boss and his trusted advisers Karren Brady and Claude Littner.

Whose business idol is Taylor Swift? Who's sucking up to Lord Sugar already? And - perhaps most importantly - who's got the biggest mouth on them? Read on to find out about all 18 of this year's hopefuls:

Aisha Kasim, 30

"Pressure makes diamonds. It's something I respond well to, I think it's go hard or go home."

Inventor Aisha owns a hair accessories business and says Victoria Beckham is her business inspiration. She fancies herself as a bit of a songwriter too, penning a jingle for one of her own products - a heated bun that curls your hair.

April Jackson, 26

"I'm Jamaican. We come first, we win on the track and we will win in the boardroom."

London-born...

The Apprentice is coming back to BBC One next month.

Lord Sugar will be warming up his firing finger for a double bill on Wednesday, October 14 and Thursday, October 15 at 9pm, as a fresh crop of entrepreneurs hope to impress him.

The Apprentice 2015: Everything you need to know, including the start date and the stars

Karren Brady and Claude Littner join Lord Sugar as his advisers this series, following Nick Hewer's departure after a decade on the show.

The Apprentice Twitter feed has also been teasing this year's contestants, and if they're all like this, then there's another entertaining series on the cards.

New series = new candidates. Who are they? We can't tell you yet but here's a teaser cos we like you… #TheApprentice pic.twitter.com/9tvOMpAtar

— The Apprentice (@bbcapprentice) September 29, 2015

This #TheApprentice candidate isn't just ambitious, she's… pic.twitter.com/sHc5REWfif

— The Apprentice (@bbcapprentice) September...

The candidates on the next series of The Apprentice better get prepared, because Claude Littner has been confirmed as Lord Sugar's new advisor.

The famously tough businessman will replace Nick Hewer in the show's upcoming eleventh series, it was announced on Monday (April 27).

He will join Karren Brady to watch the hopeful candidates as they take part in the tasks, before reporting back to Lord Sugar about their successes - and, more likely, their failures.

"If the candidates think I am soft and fluffy, they haven't been watching me on The Apprentice over the past decade," Littner said.

"I will now be assessing their performance in the process, individually and within their teams. I will be reporting to Lord Sugar to play my part in ensuring that his personal investment of £250,000 goes to the best candidate. I'm ready, and this won't be a walk in the park!"

Littner is...

Claude Littner is replacing Nick Hewer as Lord Alan Sugar's advisor on 'The Apprentice'. The BBC has announced that the formidable businessman - known for his severe interviewing strategy - will be taking over from Nick, following the 71-year-old star's decision to step down from the role in December 2014 after ten years as Lord Sugar's aide. Claude will join Karren Brady at Lord Sugar's side, and has promised he won't let it be ''a walk in the park'' for this year's candidates. He said: ''If the candidates think I am soft and fluffy, they haven't been watching me on 'The Apprentice' over...

Mark Wright has won The Apprentice 2014.

The contestant beat Bianca Miller in tonight's final (December 21) to become Lord Sugar's Apprentice.

He said: "To be running a business with Lord Sugar, I'm just absolutely stoked.

"I've worked so hard and to be sat here is life changing and the best thing that's ever happened to me."

On tonight's episode, Wright staged the launch of his digital marketing company with the help of fired contestants Solomon Akhtar, Sanjay Sood-Smith, James Hill and Sarah Dales.

Miller also impressed with her luxury tights business launch, which was worked on by Daniel Lassman, Felipe Alviar-Baquero, Lauren Riley and Katie Bulmer-Cooke.

The Apprentice Final Two: Mark Wright and Bianca Miller reveal all

Wright was ultimately named the winner in a tense final boardroom face-off, after Lord Sugar consulted with advisers Nick Hewer and Karren Brady.

Sunday night's finale was Hewer's last appearance as a regular member of the Apprentice cast.

Mark Wright has won The Apprentice 2014.

The contestant beat Bianca Miller in tonight's final (December 21) to become Lord Sugar's Apprentice.

He said: "To be running a business with Lord Sugar, I'm just absolutely stoked.

"I've worked so hard and to be sat here is life changing and the best thing that's ever happened to me."

On tonight's episode, Wright staged the launch of his digital marketing company with the help of fired contestants Solomon Akhtar, Sanjay Sood-Smith, James Hill and Sarah Dales.

Miller also impressed with her luxury tights business launch, which was worked on by Daniel Lassman, Felipe Alviar-Baquero, Lauren Riley and Katie Bulmer-Cooke.

The Apprentice Final Two: Mark Wright and Bianca Miller reveal all

Wright was ultimately named the winner in a tense final boardroom face-off, after Lord Sugar consulted with advisers Nick Hewer and Karren Brady.

Sunday night's finale was Hewer's last appearance as a regular member of the Apprentice cast.

Nick Hewer is to leave The Apprentice after 10 years on the BBC reality business show.

The 70-year-old, who also hosts Countdown, has worked alongside Lord Sugar since 1983 and has been an adviser on The Apprentice since it started in 2005.

The Apprentice review: Claude casts a cloud over things

Nick Hewer: 11 things we learned about The Apprentice, Ukip and more

Hewer explained that it is the "appropriate time" for him to depart, but that his exit is "relief tinged with regret".

He said: "I've been pondering my departure from The Apprentice for a while and have decided that year 10 is the appropriate time.

"I've enjoyed being part of this wonderful television series for two reasons: firstly, because it's been fun and has opened up many unexpected opportunities for me, but more importantly, because I think The Apprentice is a truly valuable programme, teaching young people the basics of business - not in a classroom setting,...

Solomon Akhtar, Roisin Hogan and Daniel Lassman have reacted to being fired from The Apprentice in tonight's triple elimination (December 17).

The contestants spoke to Dara Ó Briain on The Apprentice: You're Fired about their experiences on the reality business show.

The Apprentice review: Claude casts a cloud over things

Akhtar talked about his nightmare interview with Claude Littner and then failing to find the exit afterwards, saying: "Claude was genuinely one of the scariest people that I've ever met, so any exit that I could find I was just going to go for it."

Speaking about his business plan, he said: "I thought Lord Sugar would appreciate different styles, different designs."

He did, however, admit that the page of logo designs were a "bit of a filler".

Hogan was next to speak about her experiences, saying she was "totally gutted" but "thrilled with the experience".

Apprentice Solomon Akhtar on...

Fired Apprentice candidate Solomon Akhtar has spoken to Digital Spy about his flirtatious behaviour behind the scenes of the BBC One reality show, admitting to having "a spark" with one contestant and trying his luck with Lord Sugar's aide Karren Brady.

Akhtar was one of the three fired candidates in tonight's (October 17) semi-final and the technology entrepreneur has opened up about what really went on in series 10.

"I think Karren and I were very flirty. Or I was very flirty with her," said the 22-year-old.

"I think Karren's a beautiful woman and I personally love her and I think she's amazing."

A more realistic potential relationship could come with fellow fired candidate Pamela Uddin, who he revealed he had grown close to in the house.

"Pamela and I were also very flirty. We used to go off and have little chats in the house," he said.

"We were very...

It sounded so surreal, we had to double-check it wasn't April Fools' Day when we first heard the news. A BBC theme park is in the early stages of development, and could arrive as early as 2020.

You could be riding the Only Fools and Horses wurlitzer or bashing against Nick Hewer and Karren Brady on The Apprentice dodgems in only 6 years' time. It may sound ridiculous, but the success of the Harry Potter Studio Tour suggests that cashing on huge entertainment franchises isn't actually a bad idea and might even work.

Here are our 9 best suggestions for possible rides. Any profits resulting from their success can be sent in an envelope to Digital Spy Towers.

1. The Top Gear Escape From Argentina Thrill Ride

A ride as fast as a lap with The Stig as you're taken on a whirlwind tour of a mocked-up Argentina, before an international incident means you have to escape.

Obviously, it was only a matter of time before The Apprentice tackled board games. Lord Sugar must have been waiting for ages to wheel out his "from board games to the Boardroom" line. Luckily, while this week didn't quite reach the battiness of last week's coach trips - probably a good thing for Karren Brady's sanity - board games turned out to be not very boring at all.

Thank God for the entertainment factor brought by Team Tenacity - led by Pamela after both Lauren and Mark refused to take the Risk (sorry). We thought we'd seen the last of flat-out offensive sexism on this series of The Apprentice after Sarah left, but luckily, Mark stepped forward to suggest a game based on relationships and Pamela ignored the market research that said it was a terrible idea ("They thought it could be taken as sleazy or dodgy"; "I'm growing...

Tom and Jerry will meet some of the BBC's biggest stars in a sketch for Children in Need.

The cartoon will involve the duo heading out to try and raise some money after receiving a letter from Sir Terry Wogan, asking for their help.

They'll visit Gary Lineker at the Match of the Day studio, before giving a quick performance to the Strictly Come Dancing judges.

Tom and Jerry will then take a breather in the Queen Vic with EastEnders characters Mick and Linda (Danny Dyer and Kellie Bright).

Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood also receive a visit from the pair, before Lord Alan Sugar, Karren Brady and Nick Hewer get some company in The Apprentice boardroom.

This exclusive cartoon, made especially for BBC Children in Need, will air during the appeal show on Friday, November 14, from 7.30pm on BBC One.

The night will include performances from One Direction, Cheryl,...

Jemma Bird thinks James Hill or Sanjay Sood-Smith should've been fired on 'The Apprentice' instead of her. The 26-year-old star was booted off the BBC show last night (04.11.14) but she insists the pair were much more to blame for the failure of Team Summit's coach trip task - which Karren Brady described as the ''trip from hell'' - and thinks project manager Sanjay chose the easy way out by not selecting James to go into the boardroom. She said: ''I think James should have got fired. That was the kind of general standpoint, really. It seemed like that at...

Bloody hell, where's Brendan Sheerin when you need him? Mind you, we're not even sure the hero of Coach Trip could have saved the dreadful tours the candidates on The Apprentice served up tonight.

Admittedly, it doesn't help that coach trips themselves seem rather outdated to us - hell, when we heard Team Summit's project manager Sanjay was planning on charging £60 per seat, we thought that was steep, and it turned out he'd actually undervalued the whole experience. You know, the experience of sitting on a coach on a motorway, being dragged around two 'attractions' and getting a weak sandwich thrown in.

But that's just us. Lord Sugar had decided there was money to be made, and so the teams piled onto two coaches in hideous outfits - poor Tenacity looked like walking bananas in their yellow livery - in an attempt to plug the British experience to unsuspecting tourists.

Jemma Bird became the latest candidate to be fired in tonight's episode of The Apprentice.

The 26-year-old was the ninth hopeful to be sent packing by Lord Sugar after Team Tenacity's shambles of a coach tour - which left Karren Brady shell-shocked.

Led by Sanjay Sood-Smith, the group arranged a shambolic Kent history tour which featured nursery rhyme singalongs, questionable facts, a dodgy toilet and an aborted museum trip.

Lucky to escape Lord Sugar's firing finger was James Hill, who was not brought back into the Boardroom by Sood-Smith but was told: "I have warned you a couple of times that this is supposed to be a serious business challenge. You are this close from me invoking my right of getting rid of who I want, irrespective of who he's bringing back in here.

"So I'll tell you for the last bloody time - clean your act up and stop being a clown.

The Apprentice's latest fired candidate Jemma Bird has insisted that James Hill should have been let go before her - and accused him of being aware of the cameras.

Bird, who told Digital Spy that she is "disappointed" and didn't deserve to be fired, was dropped by Lord Sugar in tonight's episode - although he heavily hinted that he would have fired Hill if he'd been brought back into the boardroom by project manager Sanjay Sood-Smith.

"This was actually the first time I'd worked with James, whereas James and Sanjay had both worked together quite a few times before," Bird said. "So really throughout the whole task they were very pally pally and I was kind of on the outside, a bit like the new girl at school. I think when it came down to going back into the boardroom, rather than Sanjay bringing James in who he knows...

Jemma Bird thinks James Hill or Sanjay Sood-Smith should've been fired on 'The Apprentice' instead of her. The 26-year-old star was booted off the BBC show last night (04.11.14) but she insists the pair were much more to blame for the failure of Team Summit's coach trip task - which Karren Brady described as the ''trip from hell'' - and thinks project manager Sanjay chose the easy way out by not selecting James to go into the boardroom. She said: ''I think James should have got fired. That was the kind of general standpoint, really. It seemed like that at...

Fired Apprentice candidate Sarah Dales has defended her behaviour on the show, which was criticised by some viewers for being old-fashioned and sexist.

During the first task, Dales was project manager for the girls' team and she told her co-stars that they should "hitch their skirts up" if necessary to ensure that they got the most sales.

Apprentice mentor Karren Brady heavily criticised Dales for telling her team to "bring some nice make-up", when they suggested that strategy was more important.

Speaking about her comments to Digital Spy, Dales said that she wouldn't retract her statements.

"I absolutely stand by those comments," said Dales. "When we walked in that boardroom, it was the boys on one side and the girls on the other. Straight away it was a division of the sexes.

"When they gave us the task, I thought, 'Do you know what? I'm going to use some girl power tactics,...

The Apprentice is in its tenth series. Everyone kept reminding us of that in this opening episode. Lord Sugar used it as an excuse for bumping up the number of candidates to 20. The task involved selling everything from every first task from previous series. The winning team were treated to a ride on the London Eye - the prize for the very first winning team of the series.

Since this is a show that has been on television for ten series, you could reasonably assume that it has become a bit stale. And you could even more reasonably assume that the new candidates would have learnt something from their predecessors.

Nope. And nope again.

The Apprentice shouldn't still be this funny. It's essentially the same thing over and over again. We've all seen the candidates purposefully striding through London transport hubs, pulling their suitcases along self-importantly. We've heard all their self-aggrandising phrases before (though,...

Karren Brady has warned there will be ''mass firings'' on 'The Apprentice'. The 45-year-old businesswoman - who acts as Lord Alan Sugar's right-hand woman on the BBC One entrepreneurial reality series - has revealed that starting with 20 candidates rather than the traditional 16 to celebrate the 10th anniversary series meant for even more dramatic sessions in the famous boardroom. Speaking at the launch of the tenth series at London's Ham Yard Hotel, Karren told Bang Showbiz: ''It was good for Alan because it's a serious prize. When we've all left the show and gone on with our separate lives, he's still...

Get your Prokofiev blasting and your power suits ironed, because The Apprentice is back tonight! Having had a sneaky peek at episode one, we can confirm that it's just as funny and entertaining as ever - complete with four extra candidates, bringing Lord Sugar's rabble to a round 20.

To celebrate the return of the show we sat down with Karren Brady for 11 questions - read on to find out what her biggest bugbear is, whether her reaction faces are real, which tasks we can expect (and which one was a nightmare) and much more...

1. Does having 20 candidates make things even louder?

"Everyone wants to be heard, everyone wants to say their piece, everyone wants to have a reason to go into the boardroom and tell Alan how wonderful they are and it can get quite manic on the road. Sometimes what's impossible is I'm sitting there and they're having a debate here,...

Karren Brady has warned there will be ''mass firings'' on 'The Apprentice'. The 45-year-old businesswoman - who acts as Lord Alan Sugar's right-hand woman on the BBC One entrepreneurial reality series - has revealed that starting with 20 candidates rather than the traditional 16 to celebrate the 10th anniversary series meant for even more dramatic sessions in the famous boardroom. Speaking at the launch of the tenth series at London's Ham Yard Hotel, Karren told Bang Showbiz: ''It was good for Alan because it's a serious prize. When we've all left the show and gone on with our separate lives, he's still...

It's been a long time coming, but the new series of The Apprentice is just a week away now - and we can't wait to see this lot grappling with the tasks and sweating in the boardroom.

We actually popped along to the show's press launch today (October 7), where Lord Alan Sugar, Nick Hewer and Karren Brady gave us all some hints about what we need to look out for this series. Read on for their eight things to know...

1. We might be in the tenth series, but the candidates are just as mouthy as ever.

"In the first series you would be a bit surprised in the manner in which they carry on," Lord Sugar admitted. "But the point is - to put it bluntly - that they know what they're letting themselves in for when they apply for the process. They would have seen that for the past ten years.

Lord Alan Sugar has revealed that The Apprentice will return with a double bill on October 14 and 15.

Announcing the date on Twitter, Lord Sugar confirmed that he, Nick Hewer and Karren Brady would begin their new search in a couple of weeks, with a 10th anniversary special celebrating memorable moments from previous series also announced.

"Warm up for the new series of Apprentice with a 10-year special containing classic moments & characters," Lord Sugar told followers, before confirming that it would air on Monday, October 13 at 10.35pm on BBC One.

Breaking: It's Back! The Apprentice series 10 starts Tue 14 Oct episode1 & Wed 15 Oct episode2, then every Wednesday thereafter, 9pm @BBCOne

— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) September 30, 2014

Lord Sugar later confirmed that the tenth series would kick off the following night with a two-part opener, before then continuing weekly on Wednesday nights.

Beginning in 2005 on BBC Two, The Apprentice became a ratings hit, moving...

Not even the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge can resist a little reality TV! Kate Middleton and Prince William are apparently big fans of The Apprentice UK, the British version of the U.S. TV competition starring billionaire Donald Trump. Recently, the Duke had a chance to chat with Apprentice UK businesswoman Karren Brady at Buckingham Palace -- an opportunity he used to ask one very important question. "He asked me when it was coming back on," Brady told reporters of the 31-year-old royal at an event in [...]...

The Apprentice winner Leah Totton has said that she would never appear on Celebrity Big Brother like fellow candidate Luisa Zissman, stating that her "professionalism is paramount".

This morning (January 22), Totton launched her first clinic under the Dr Leah cosmetics brand she pitched on the show, while second place finisher Zissman spent the day being filmed with the likes of Dappy and Lee Ryan in the CBB house.

Speaking to Digital Spy about her motivation for entering the business contest, Totton stated: "I did The Apprentice to secure the investment, that was my priority.

"I'm not planning to appear on Celebrity Big Brother any time soon. My priority is my business and my professionalism is paramount.

"If [Luisa has] decided [CBB is] right for her, it's right for her. It's up to Lou what she does with her career. I've got enough problems of my own to worry about without worrying about hers as well.

The Apprentice winner Dr Leah Totton has celebrated opening her first cosmetics clinic after overcoming the "extremely distressing" negative press following her appearance on the show.

The medical practitioner said she was "absolutely delighted" to launch the Dr Leah brand in London this morning (January 22) alongside Karren Brady, filling in for Lord Sugar, who is away on business.

Speaking to Digital Spy, Totton - who also celebrates her 26th birthday today - admitted that the debate over her ethics when her business was pitched on The Apprentice was "by far the most upsetting thing [she'd] ever encountered", but it was worth it to "shine a light on... the failings in the industry".

"I believe I honestly am entirely ethical and my integrity is pivotal to my character," she said. "I just find it extremely distressing. There was a misportrayal of what my business plan was about and it was maybe misconstrued...

Apprentice mentor Karren Brady has defended ex-contestant Luisa Zissman for taking part in Celebrity Big Brother, insisting that she still considers her a "pretty smart lady".

Zissman was the runner-up in the 2013 series of The Apprentice, but some viewers have accused her of being more interested in celebrity status and fame than serious business.

Commenting on The Jonathan Ross Show on Zissman's decision to take part in Big Brother, Brady joked that Lord Alan Sugar would probably have "a mild stroke" if he was in the UK and watching her on the Channel 5 reality show.

However, Brady defended Zissman's choices, adding: "Actually, underneath it all, she's a pretty smart lady. I mean, when she says, 'I don't care what people think of me', I think she genuinely means it and she's mapped out what she wants to do with her life and that's part of it.

"The thing is, if...