Series 19 of The Apprentice sees 18 brand new candidates battling it out for the opportunity of a lifetime - to win Lord Sugar鈥檚 拢250,000 investment and mentorship.
Ahead of the new series, Lord Sugar and his trusted advisors, Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell MBE, share their insights...
The Apprentice returns to iPlayer and 大象传媒 One on Thursday 30 January from 9pm
- The Apprentice 2025 candidates - Meet the hopefuls vying for Lord Sugar's investment in series 19
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Lord Sugar
You鈥檙e back for series 19, how do you think this series stands out from the rest?
Well, as time goes by and we do more and more series, I think we find that the quality of the candidates gets better and better, and it鈥檚 important because the candidates make the show. The series is not about me or just the tasks that we set, most of all it鈥檚 about the individuals that join the process. I think this series is going to be great. We start off with a great trip to Austria which really sets the tone for the series. We also have lots of really good tasks, from buying and selling potatoes, making a virtual pop star to creating a banking app for kids.
This year you haven鈥檛 split the teams into ladies and men, why?
We鈥檝e split them into sexes in the past purely to help the audience get to know the candidates quickly, it just felt like an easy thing to do. But this year we decided to mix it up from the outset. I think it's quite a refreshing addition to the first episode and it鈥檚 interesting to see how they handle being a mixed team because it鈥檚 not what they necessarily expected from the start.
There are so many candidates at the start of the process, how do they impress you and make sure they stand out early on?
The thing is, you start off observing certain people thinking, 鈥渨ow, this one鈥檚 very good, that one knows their stuff鈥�. You're making an early impression of them, but as time goes by, others grow on you. You start to see the real contenders - what I would call the cream - rising to the top. The thing for me is I want to see that they understand what it is I鈥檓 looking for without me having to spoon feed them; do they understand the purpose of the task, do they have that instinct I鈥檓 looking for?
If someone winds you up early on, do you allow for nerves or do they have a strike against their name that they need to clear during the process?
No, there鈥檚 no mark against their names. You know, these are younger people. They're all desperate to win. The only way they annoy me is if they continually make the same mistake. They don't annoy me from what they say or anything like that. But if you've told them about certain things and they continue to make mistakes, that's annoying. What fascinates me is they all say they love the show and they've followed it for many, many years. And if they have, then of course they should be able to pick up on what things they shouldn't do and what things they should do. They need to have done their homework on us just as I have on them.
Can you tell if they haven鈥檛 prepared?
Yes, I think you can. To be fair, most of them have done their homework. And viewers have to understand they go through a very rigorous process just to even become one of the candidates. They've already shown in that process that they've understood what it's all about. They just need to put it into practice on the show.
The boardroom is often intense to watch, what鈥檚 it like to film?
It's all natural, no one meddles once we are in that room. They come in and they're obviously very nervous. From the very beginning I try to make them feel okay, we have a little joke and a laugh and things like that to change the atmosphere and relax them. I've had many, many years of experience dealing with people 鈥� as you can appreciate 鈥� so I do understand that they are nervous. I think the nerves fade slightly as the process progresses, but those nerves still exist, particularly when they don't know how well they've done in a particular task. Once we鈥檙e in, it鈥檚 all about us, the producers are not in and out telling me what to do.
Have you ever fired someone and regretted it later?
Well, the only time I have second thoughts is when it gets down to the final few when they are very, very credible. And you sometimes wonder to yourself, have I made a mistake here? You know, would this person be better off staying in than the others? And it's difficult, you have to make a decision in the moment, that's the problem, the decision has to be made. I can鈥檛 go away and think about it overnight.
And sometimes, yeah, it could be that I have made a mistake. But saying that, there鈥檚 not many people that have gone on to fame and fortune afterwards that I missed out on, from what I can remember anyway. But the decision isn鈥檛 an easy one, especially towards the end of the process, you're talking about people that have put in a great performance throughout the process and often the line is fine between them.
Next year will be the 20th series, how are you going to mark such an incredible milestone?
We are already working on ideas for that. It's got to be a very special occasion, hasn't it? There needs to be a lot of promotion and excitement around it, it鈥檚 what it deserves. We've got a great team of people that think up ideas and all that stuff. And again, it's all down to the candidates, which we have not chosen yet, of course. I want a really good set of candidates for the 20th.
Fans might be worried that you will shut the boardroom after the 20th, what are you thinking when it comes to the future of the show?
I honestly don鈥檛 know. I have to see how I feel. I mean, I'm getting older, I鈥檓 nearly 78 years old. So it really depends; so long as I've got my health and strength... I've always said I will carry on as long as the 大象传媒 wants me to. It's also a consideration that it's not my call, it's the 大象传媒's call.
Many past winners of the show have gone on to have huge business success, what鈥檚 the secret?
I think because it doesn't end with the win. You see, when they win the show, they also win my support and they win the backup of my people and my infrastructure that helps them. It is not just about the money, it's more that it's a dream for them because they don't have to worry about things like filing accounts, doing VAT returns and all that stuff. We teach them how to do all of that until such a stage where they're able to do it for themselves and become self-sufficient, it鈥檚 a real apprenticeship. And we've had some very, very good successes.
People might be surprised to hear you are so hands on with the winners after the show?
Why? That's the deal. It's not just a case of 鈥渉ere's the money, get on with it. Goodbye鈥�. I open up myself and my team to them, we want them to succeed. They are appointed a bunch of great accountants who look after them and do all their books and they have access to people who are incredibly successful to rely on. That鈥檚 more than just a financial investment, that experience is priceless.
Women have won the show for the last five years in a row, what impact do you think that has on young girls watching at home?
It鈥檚 huge. But I鈥檝e always said women in business are great. Women are very, very focused, they haven't got that kind of problem of flexing their muscles and trying to show what big shots they are, they just get on with it. They get on with the job in hand. Some of my best employees have been women going back to the eighties, it鈥檚 just always been that way.
So what do the male candidates have to do to get your investment this series?
Just be shrewd. Just be clever. And just be smart. It鈥檚 not rocket science.
Baroness Karren Brady
You鈥檙e back for the 19th series, how do you think this one stands out from the rest?
Well, I think the tasks get more and more interesting as the series progresses. What Lord Sugar really does with the tasks is testing the candidates. Can they negotiate, can they work as a team, do they listen, are they innovative, can they solve problems? Each task is really set to test their mettle, and I think they're pretty good.
How would you rate this batch of candidates?
Well, they're all experts in their own field, all battling for the ultimate prize. I think it showcases and reflects a business community, a wide group of people who are innovative business thinkers. And I think they're all credible; they're diverse, they've got different business backgrounds. Of course, over the series, we really test their business acumen and their skills. I think they鈥檙e a serious bunch this series too.
It is the ultimate test of your ability and it is an incredible prize because you get a quarter of a million pounds to invest in your own business. That's life changing money. And more importantly, what money can't buy is a partnership with Lord Sugar. It's a life-changing investment opportunity. And I guess as the series has progressed, candidates have got more and more serious. You know, there鈥檚 not many places they can go to get that kind of money, and they can't go anywhere to get that kind of expertise.
What do they have to do to make themselves stand out to Lord Sugar early on?
I guess at the beginning it's more what they don't do as opposed to what they do. I think it's a case of are they calm under pressure? Can they work as a team? Can they sort out the many problems that some of the tasks develop for them? They need to come out strong and show Lord Sugar what they are capable of.
If they annoy Lord Sugar early on, do you think that鈥檚 a mark against them or is he quite forgiving as he knows they鈥檒l be nervous?
I think he gives them a bit of leeway. I think he's very understanding, and he doesn鈥檛 hold grudges. He likes it when people take accountability for their mistakes and prove that they've learned from it and will adapt and change.
He mixes up the teams from the start rather than have them split by sex, what impact does that have?
We normally keep them separate so it's easy for the viewer to follow, because when they're all mixed up, it gets a bit more difficult. But I think it just changes the dynamics a little bit and you get different people with different skills mixing together.
The first episode is a trip to Austria, so the series does kick off in style?
Yes, and they all get excited when they hear we're going away for the first trip and they don't realise it's not a holiday, it鈥檚 going to be hard work from the get-go. Austria was fantastic. It was a wonderful place, so picturesque. Although, we were over 3000 meters above sea level and it was bloody cold! But it really was an incredible, incredible place.
Did you have any downtime during the foreign trips?
We get no downtime! I mean, when it says it's 4am, it really is 4am and we're up when they're up and we finish when they finish. You need a lot of stamina. Tim's a lot younger than me, so he probably handles it better. But it really is hard work, we鈥檙e putting a proper shift in!
How important is it to report back to Lord Sugar about a candidate鈥檚 personal skills as well as their business skills?
Oh, very much. I mean, look, Lord Sugar may come across as quite strict, but he's actually a very nice guy and he likes to work with people that have integrity, have values, have purpose, and get on with people. That's really important to him. So how they treat each other, how they treat the production staff, how they talk, the manner in which they talk to people, all of that is really very important to him and it's important for us to feed that back.
One female candidate is branded loud by her rivals, did you agree?
Well, I like strong women, I really do. So that doesn鈥檛 frighten me. Being able to stand up for yourself, being able to express your opinion, stand your ground. Those things, I think, are really important. But sometimes it's not what you say, it's how you say it. And if you start alienating people or making people feel bad about themselves, that's where, for me, it crosses the line.
Were there any mishaps this time behind the scenes?
No, not really. But I have to tell you, when we were in Austria, obviously I have to take notes on everything. And we were standing more than 3000 meters above sea level. It was so cold. And obviously I couldn't write with my gloves on. I had to take my glove off to write my notes. But then all of a sudden, I couldn't write because my hand literally froze. You know when you're trying to do something, and your hand won't do what you want it to do? That鈥檚 what happened. It was so bad that I couldn't even read my own notes back at the end of the day! I really did suffer for our art!
Can fans expect some explosive boardroom moments?
Oh absolutely! It always gets heated in there because they all want to win. I guess their friendship goes out of the window when they're trying to save themselves.
What would you say is the biggest misconception about filming in the boardroom?
I think probably the biggest misconception is that people think it's in some way engineered when it's not, that is why I think the show works so well. There's no script, there's no retakes, there's no autocue. Lord Sugar has his notes from us on exactly what's happened, but he delves into why it's happened. He wants to know why it's happened and who's going to take responsibility for it, whether that's for the good things or the bad things.
And for Tim and I, our job is to keep the candidates honest. When they say, 鈥渙h, I didn't agree with that, or I didn't want to do that, or I didn't do that鈥�, we can say we know exactly what happened. Our job is to keep them honest, really.
Next series will be the 20th, how would you like to see that milestone celebrated?
I would like to see the 20th series based around milestones in Lord Sugar's life. What he has done with technology, football, innovation, computers. Something that marks some of the things that he's achieved throughout his career and in some ways celebrates those.
Do you think he might increase his investment?
You'd have to ask him! I can't possibly talk about other people's money; it's not mine!
Fans are worried that once Lord Sugar reaches the 20th anniversary that he might close the boardroom, what do you think?
I think he should carry on because he's so good at it and people love it and it wouldn't be the same show without him. I mean, he is the star of the show. His authenticity, he's straight talking. His ability to see through the nonsense, the way he sums everything up, his poignant points in the boardroom. He knows what he's looking for.
He鈥檚 had a lot of success with winners from the show, what鈥檚 the secret?
Well, look, he really gets to know the candidates through the series, so he's really tested them. The cream rises to the top as we go through. It's always very difficult on the first task because someone has to go. Whoever went previously could have stayed on and for them, leaving the process is a big moment.
The last five winners have been women, you must be proud of that?
I am, and I love that that's happened. I can't tell you how much. I mean, championing women in business has been my life's work. Seeing women consistently outperform the guys and win the whole series is incredible. It's a tough process and they've handled themselves extremely well. For me it's an incredible platform to show what businesswomen can do and why they win and why they're so good and to show their talent. I'm thrilled about that.
Lord Sugar doesn鈥檛 see gender when he makes his decision鈥�
Absolutely. When the series is over, I go my own way, but Lord Sugar remains with them. The hard work starts the minute the winner is picked. He has to make sure it's someone he can work with. And, you know, having done it for 19 years, that's a lot of people, a lot of businesses he鈥檚 had success with, so he knows what he鈥檚 doing. He can pick a winner in more ways than one.
Tim Campbell MBE
What do you think makes this series stand out from the rest?
I think we've got some of the mainstays like the Interviews round and candidates going on tours around different countries. But I think what makes this really different is that the candidates, from the get-go, have been mixed up when it comes to the teams. It's really good that we鈥檙e making sure that inclusivity is right at the heart of what we're doing. I think the viewers are in for some treats along the way.
How would you rate the candidates this year?
We're really lucky. I think it鈥檚 a credit to the 大象传媒, the production team and Lord Sugar, in terms of his gravitas, that we've got 18 credible, diverse candidates from all viable business backgrounds. The reality is that if you look back over all previous series, we've got to the final stages with incredible business people who run successful businesses and I think we've got more this time. So, we're really, really lucky that in the midst of lots of shows maybe going different ways, we've maintained that level of credibility.
What do you think they need to do to get Lord Sugar's attention early on?
Well, firstly, don't come up with statements that are going to make them look silly. Right? You always get these. The key thing with Lord Sugar is that he loves authenticity; he likes confidence. What he's really looking for and what candidates have to understand is that he wants somebody he can invest in. So not only have they got a credible business, but they鈥檝e also got to be a nice person that he can feel he can work alongside. It's the age-old thing; people do business with people and Lord Sugar is looking for a business partner he can really help with his experience as well as his money.
What difference do you think it made early on that Lord Sugar mixed up the teams?
I think early on it actually threw a bit of a curveball to the candidates because they might have thought they knew what was coming, but it prepares them to expect the unexpected. That's a good trait in business anyway. And also they have to learn very quickly to work with everybody in the task because I think one of the mainstays of what keeps the show interesting is that dichotomy of having to focus on winning, because you ultimately want to work with Lord Sugar and secure the investment, but you've also got to work with a team of people in order to get there. Lots of people forget that. They think, 鈥測ou know what? I don't need anybody else, I'm only here for my own benefit鈥�. And they soon come a cropper. But this really forced on them the fact that they've got to work collaboratively in order to get through.
Things can get intense between candidates at times during tasks, do you feel it鈥檚 a true reflection of the real business world?
There's going to be a clash of personality when you bring 18 random people together who are ultimately big fishes in their own respective ponds. Then they all come together and realise it's actually a small little bowl they鈥檙e all swimming in. There's ultimately going to be clashes of personalities and sometimes people don't always see eye to eye on which way to go. But essentially, I think what we find in the show is a reflection of real life.
In lots of situations, we work with people that sometimes we don't get on with, and sometimes we have to manage that process because ultimately, you're measured on the delivery, not whether or not you get on or like the other candidates. I think watching how people navigate those scenarios is also really interesting because you've got to be careful or mindful that you are a brand. You're being viewed as an individual as well as a participant on the show. And seeing how individuals work when they don't agree is often really, really important. For us, going back to Lord Sugar, we are reporting to him how his potential business partners are getting on. And sometimes people forget that. They just think about the results.
I love strong candidates but I also think they've got to be mindful of their impact on other people. It's really hard where they've got lots of people who run their own businesses; they are the boss, they are the people telling everyone what to do. And all of a sudden they've got to come into this collaborative environment where they've got to ask permission or seek other people's feedback. And that can sometimes be a hard pill for many to swallow. But one thing they can be assured of is that Baroness Brady and I are never going to miss anything. And we will definitely report back to Lord Sugar. We are the eyes and ears on the ground.
There are a couple of trips abroad this series to Austria and Turkey, what were they like to film?
Oh, amazing! From the get-go the candidates are thrown on a plane and sent out to Austria. So a different environment; a beautiful, beautiful backdrop to actually go and participate in a unique task. I love the fact that when we were in Turkey, my candidates weren't blown away or they weren't consumed by the environment. They were really focused on delivering the task. And I think the beauty of the show is that we're constantly pushing the boundaries about where we go and the different experiences we're getting. But at the heart of it, what we're ultimately wanting to show the British public is that business is global. You can't be just limited by your passport in terms of where you can go. You can go anywhere in the world and do business globally.
What task had you belly laughing or cringing?
Seeing the candidates become virtual representatives of themselves to become a virtual popstar, it was amazing how engaged they were. And some of the dance moves were very questionable. It's lucky that we are not Strictly Come Dancing, because I'm not too sure that people would make it past the bottom two in that particular regard. Seeing those dance moves and the costumes; some of the clothes and attire that these things were wearing, it was like, 鈥渨ow, we've got egos in the real world and the artificial world as well!鈥�
What's the biggest misconception about filming in the boardroom?
I think what people don't understand, and this is really hard to get people's heads around, is the amount of time that goes into those boardroom scenes. We have an hour-long show, the boardrooms tend to take up about 15 minutes of the episode, which in TV time is a massive deal. But some of those boardrooms can go on for over three hours because he's really analysing every single element. I know people like his witty comments and the retorts between candidates in terms of their disagreements. But what I love about the process is that everybody gets a fair deal. He really analyses every single piece of information we've had to give him when we've seen them, but he loves that face-to-face contact where he can read people.
You've got to believe this is an entrepreneur who's worked with some of the biggest people in business over many years. He's got an innate sense of when somebody's trying to bullshit him and when somebody actually is worth another chance. And we've seen him do both extremes. Right? Fire somebody ruthlessly because 鈥渢hey're just not for me. Get out of my boardroom鈥�. But also tell people, 鈥淟isten, you're on shaky ground, but I'm going to give you another chance鈥�. And then they've come back and done better the next week. A bit of pressure never hurt anybody, but I just don't think people understand how pressurised that environment is.
The 20th series is next year and is a massive milestone for the show, how do you think it should be celebrated?
I'd love to see a focus on his life and what he's done around business because I think as well as a twenty year television career, there's a whole generation of life before television that many of the newest viewers to the show, in particular, may have no knowledge of Lord Sugar's success before television. They just see him as the guy who's on The Apprentice, but the guy who's on The Apprentice was incredibly successful beforehand, at one point having a company bigger than Microsoft. So, for Lord Sugar to be seen as Amstrad and what he did with Amstrad and that journey, I think if we can see his life, his love of football, his love of family, his love of TV shopping - that's another task he definitely loves to see - I think that would be a great testament to not just the show鈥檚 twenty years, but to Lord Sugar, who's been central to that throughout.
Do you think Lord Sugar might close the boardroom after the 20th?
He 鈥榓in鈥檛 going anywhere! Listen, that man has got so much energy, he's so full of life. I think what it's going to come down to is does he want to continue? That's going to be the big thing because we've got to understand we are in an age of television where lots of people need to be on television because it's 鈥榩art of their brand鈥�; it鈥檚 part of who they are. Luckily that's not the case for Lord Sugar. He's going to be successful whether the TV show exists or not. It's going to come down to does he want to and is he interested? I think there's a lot of people, given the popularity of the show, over 6 million people watching on average every single episode, there's a lot of people who would love him to continue forever, but it's going to be all down to him.
We've had a woman win the last five years in a row, what do you think a guy needs to do to win?
It's not about gender, I think it's about the best person who performs. And coincidentally, for the last couple of years, the women have been fantastic winners, but they've been up against great male competitors as well, who have persevered. And we've had some great characters over the years who haven't won but have done very well in business themselves. So I don't think it's something to be divided by gender and there's no special male ticket.
I think in business, yes, you might have to have an understanding of your particular customer, which may mean that gender plays its part in one way, shape or form. But in business in general, all you have to do is make sure that you're solving a problem, make sure your solution makes money so it's profitable, and make sure that you remember that your brand is also on display at all times. If you don't mess that up, then we'll find someone successful. If anybody, male or female, wants to take that as advice, I think that'd be good for anybody.
There have been huge successes from the show, what do you think is the secret to that?
I think without a shadow of a doubt, every single one of them would say that Lord Sugar's investment is secondary to Lord Sugar's advice and support. The money is a big pot of money, don't get me wrong, but actually it pales in comparison to the years of experience that comes from a successful businessperson like Lord Sugar and having him at the end of a phone line where you could ask a question when you're at a crossroads. Or having him take away all of the back-office stuff from you and have that centralised amongst his existing business and so you can just focus on selling the product or delivering the service that you're responsible for. I think that is a huge step up for anybody who wants to grow, scale up or start their business.
So he really does put his money where his mouth is?
When you think about it, it鈥檚 mad. His actual trusted team that runs his own business is now your trusted team and is going to help you run your business! On day one, you're going to have an accountant who's going to help you set your business up for success. You鈥檙e going to have access to marketers, people in HR, lawyers who can help you manage contracts that you couldn't ever imagine getting on day one or day 100, whatever stage your company is at by the time you've invested in The Apprentice.
And for that, I think people do him a bit of a disservice because he doesn't have to do that, right? He could just hand over the cheque and then say, 鈥淵ou know what, let's take a risk鈥�. But he legitimately cares about helping other people to get a slice of the success that he's had as an individual. Coming from where he's come from and knowing that business was the platform that allowed him to have all of that success, he鈥檚 opening the doors for others to do the same.