Key Takeaways
- The Celebrity Apprentice is coming to the UK with Lord Alan Sugar as the host
- The six-part series will feature a lineup of celebrities competing in business challenges
- The show is set to air in 2026, with two Christmas-themed episodes airing on December 29 and 30
- The series is a co-production between Fremantle-owned Naked and MGM Alternative UK
- The show’s format will challenge celebrities to work without their usual assistants and immerse themselves in the Apprentice world
Introduction to The Celebrity Apprentice
The show that helped launch President Donald Trump’s TV persona is finally getting a full celebrity version in the UK. The Celebrity Apprentice, hosted by Lord Alan Sugar, is set to air on the BBC in 2026, marking the first full season of the show on the broadcaster. While the UK has seen several celebrity specials of The Apprentice in the past, these have been primarily attached to telethons such as Comic Relief. The new series will be a six-part show, co-produced by Fremantle-owned Naked and MGM Alternative UK, and will feature a lineup of celebrities competing in business challenges and trying to avoid being fired by Lord Sugar.
The Concept and Production
The concept of The Celebrity Apprentice is to take a group of celebrities and challenge them to work without their usual assistants and immerse themselves in the Apprentice world. As Lord Sugar explained, "We’ve had some great celebrity names walk into my boardroom over the years, but they’ve only ever had a small taster of what it’s like to be a candidate. It’ll be interesting to see how our future celebrities fare across a full series, removing their PAs, PRs, agents and all the other assistance they have in their day-to-day lives to fully immerse themselves into The Apprentice world." The show is set to be executive produced by Paul Broadbent for Naked, with Francesca Maudslay as consultant executive producer and Rachael Hankinson as production executive. For MGM Alternative UK, Dom Bird will serve as executive producer, while Sarah Clay and Jo Wallace are the commissioning editors for the BBC.
Broadcast and Scheduling
The plan is to broadcast The Celebrity Apprentice "later in 2026," with more details to follow. In the meantime, two Christmas-themed Celebrity Apprentice episodes will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on December 29 and 30 in the UK, followed by the latest season of The Apprentice early next year. Lord Sugar has fronted the regular series for 19 seasons, starting back in 2004, and has become a household name in the UK. The show originally aired on BBC Two but was moved to the flagship network BBC One in 2007 due to its high ratings.
Reaction and Expectations
The BBC is excited about the new series, with Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC, saying, "The Apprentice is a much-loved part of the BBC’s entertainment offering and we can’t wait to see how the celebrity candidates rise to the challenge when the series launches later in 2026." The show’s format has been a success in the past, and the addition of celebrities is expected to bring a new level of excitement and competition to the show. As the series is set to air in 2026, fans of The Apprentice will have to wait a little longer to see their favorite celebrities in action.
History of The Apprentice
The Apprentice was created by Mark Burnett and first aired on NBC in 2004. The show was hosted by Donald Trump for the first 14 seasons and was a huge success, helping to launch Trump’s public profile as a TV personality and eventually as a springboard to enter politics. The show’s format, which challenges a group of contestants to compete in business challenges and avoid being fired, has been widely imitated and has become a staple of reality TV. The UK version of the show, hosted by Lord Sugar, has also been a success, and the addition of a celebrity version is expected to bring a new level of excitement and competition to the show.
Conclusion
In conclusion, The Celebrity Apprentice is set to bring a new level of excitement and competition to the UK TV scene. With its unique format and the addition of celebrities, the show is expected to be a huge success. Lord Sugar’s experience and expertise will undoubtedly bring a new level of challenge and excitement to the show, and fans of The Apprentice will be eagerly awaiting the series’ launch in 2026. With its rich history and proven format, The Celebrity Apprentice is sure to be a hit with audiences and will provide a fresh and exciting take on the traditional Apprentice format.
