The Celebrity Apprentice: BBC confirms return of hit spin-off series for Children In Need special - when is it on TV?
Lord Alan Sugar and his trusted advisers are heading to Lapland for a new set of episodes of The Celebrity Apprentice.
The BBC has confirmed the return of the star-studded spin-off of the main business competition series The Apprentice. Celebrities previously took part in Comic Relief Does The Apprentice, which aired in 2007, 2009, and 2019.
The Celebrity Apprentice will return to screens soon for a two-episode special run, with 12 stars set to be challenged with a festive task all in aid of Children In Need. The celebrity contestants, who are yet to be revealed, will be heading to Lapland to create festive biscuits.
Lord Sugar will be joined by long-time adviser Baroness Karen Brady during the special episodes. Mike Soutar, who often trips the normal contestants up in the interviews stage, will temporarily replace Tim Campbell, who was unavailable for filming.
The biscuits created by the celebrity teams will hit supermarket shelves in time for Christmas, meaning that viewers can try out the flavours themselves.
Paul Broadbent, Director of Programmes at Naked, adds: “We are delighted to announce The Celebrity Apprentice: Christmas Specials. Not only will the two special episodes be immensely entertaining, but the biscuits made and sold in the lead up to the show airing will be raising vital funds for BBC Children in Need – it’s a win win. The Apprentice has always been the ultimate test of business acumen and resilience. Now, with well-known faces stepping up to the challenge, we can’t wait to see how they fare under pressure.”
Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC says: “Viewers can look forward to the celebrity candidates facing the ultimate festive challenge of creating their own biscuits in aid of BBC Children in Need with plenty of seasonal surprises along the way too before they face Lord Sugar in the boardroom who will decide who has been naughty and who has been nice!”
Tommy Nagra, Director of Content at BBC Children in Need added: “This is the first time we have partnered with The Celebrity Apprentice. The spirit of Christmas embodies kindness, generosity and giving, so it’s especially exciting that - for the first time ever- the product created during the show will be available in stores, with proceeds going directly to BBC Children in Need.”
While a cast has not yet been confirmed, there have been names linked to the show when reported of its return hit the media. Some names who have been mentioned include Big Brother host AJ Odudu, JLS member JB Gill, and Judge Rinder star Rob Rinder.
A release date for The Celebrity Apprentice has not yet been confirmed. However the BBC has confirmed that the show will air over the “festive period” on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.