THE APPRENTICE RETURNS: WHAT'S IN STORE FOR SERIES 16

The BBC’s award-winning business show, The Apprentice, is back on screens for a stellar 16th series as it kicks off in its new Thursday night slot, promising plenty of fireworks even after the New Year.

In the highly anticipated return of the show, Lord Sugar will have trusted advisor Baroness Karren Brady back by his side and, with Claude Littner taking a series break, entrepreneur and winner of the first ever series, Tim Campbell MBE joins to observe the candidates and their business acumen on the tasks.

With 16 new candidates competing to win a life-changing £250,000 investment in their business, the series launches with a challenge that is anything but plain sailing.

Aboard a brand-new cruise ship laid on by Lord Sugar, the candidates are split into teams as they’re tasked with designing an advertising campaign for a destination cruise. With competitive drive flaring and relationships being tested from the off, it’s time to find out who will sink and who will swim.

After being thrown in the deep end in the first task, those who do survive will face a host of equally daunting challenges ahead. The candidates are set to receive a visit from a familiar-looking Tooth Fairy as they are thrown into the world of children’s oral care, there’s an adventurous brief to boost Welsh tourism with zip lines and steam trains on the agenda and the development of an original video game concept will take things up another level.

The budding entrepreneurs will also find themselves in the spotlight as they sell live on TV, negotiate fishy waters in Cornwall and navigate a racing inspired corporate away day at Silverstone.

Speaking from the boardroom in the first episode, Lord Sugar said: “I must say, we are glad to be back in the boardroom again. But don’t for one minute think I’ve gone soft. Due to the pandemic, the world of business is tougher than ever before and the same goes for this process. In this boardroom you don’t get furloughed, you get fired.”

Comedian, writer and actor Tom Allen returns as host of The Apprentice: You’re Fired, which will air each week on BBC Two straight after the main show. Casting a wry eye over each week’s events, Tom will be joined by a host of celebrity fans and business professionals to dissect and debate the candidates progress through each task.

The Apprentice will air weekly on Thursdays at 9pm on BBC One from 6th January 2022, followed by You’re Fired on BBC Two. Watch live and on-demand on BBC iPlayer.