CHILDREN ENTER THE APPRENTICE BOARDROOM AS PART OF CHILDREN IN NEED

The countdown has started!  There’s only one week to go until Pudsey and his many friends return with the much cherished annual BBC Children in Need Appeal night on Friday 14^th November at 7pm -  and some of the fun can now be exclusively revealed!

The night will be jam-packed with emotional performances, special moments and sketches, with children at the heart of everything. Viewers can get ready to witness some heart melting moments and entertaining twists on BBC classics, including a mini Apprentice sketch as a suited and booted, savvy set of mini candidates from Children in Need funded project, Haringey Shed, head in to Lord Sugar’s infamous boardroom to prove that they mean business.

However, the tables have turned for Lord Sugar, as this time it is the Apprentice boss who will be getting a good grilling. The teeny tycoons don’t hold back with their forensic interrogation of Lord Sugar, questioning him across a whole range of topics including grumpiness, wealth, football, inheritance and business regrets.

Lord Sugar’s trusted aides Baroness Brady and Tim Campbell are on hand for back up, displaying an impressive array of facial expressions as Lord Sugar attempts to field burning questions adults would never dare ask such as:

‘Are you the person that made Spurs rubbish?’ and ‘Why is your name Sugar when you are so salty’?

Lord Sugar said: “As a special one off I’ve agreed to let some youngsters come in and grill me, I’m doing a favour for Pudsey. I must be going a bit soft but let’s see what happens.”

BAFTA winning actor and BBC Children in Need presenter, Lenny Rush and Pudsey have been promoted to the roles of high flying telly executives, and  they have been charged with putting children at the heart of all programming at the BBC. What could go wrong?

Lenny gets to work straight away. Deciding that the BBC needs much younger faces at the heart of its programming, he arranges an “epic Gladiators takeover” with a new class of mini, but mighty, Gladiators entering  the arena as fresh new substitutes for their grown up counterparts, Bionic, Giant, Nitro, Fire, Athena and Diamond.

And the Gladiators aren’t the only BBC faces dealing with competition from much younger contenders. Gladiators’ host, Bradley Walsh faces off against his own “mini me”, BBC Newsreader, Sophie Raworth gets quite the shock as her news desk experiences a mini invasion; Over at the Queen Vic, Shane Richie realises that some iconic Eastenders have turned back time; and UEFA Women's Euro 2025 champion Lionesses, Ella Toone and Alessia Russo find themselves in a unique and highly memorable BBC Sport interview!

Lenny Rush said “Leading the charge of a BBC kids take over with has been a lot of fun! It's been so good to get back into doing the Children in Need sketches, especially because I get to play a grumpy, self-centred boss as the BBC’s Deputy Head of Programming.”

All answers, and the aforementioned delightful sketches. will be revealed in full, next Friday as hosts Mel Giedroyc, Rochelle Humes, Vernon Kay, Paddy McGuinness, Lenny Rush and Big Zuu bring Autumn cheer, warmth, and sparkle into the nation’s living rooms.

Children In Need airs Friday 14th November on BBC One.