Celebrity Apprentice confirmed for full series on BBC after Lord Sugar pointed out key format differences

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The first season of The Celebrity Apprentice is set to premiere on BBC One in 2026, featuring a fresh group of celebrities competing for Lord Sugar’s approval.

I just finished watching the new series, and let me tell you, it’s a blast! Each week, a bunch of well-known faces are thrown into tough business tasks set by the one and only Lord Sugar. The stakes are high – nobody wants to hear those dreaded words, ‘You’re fired!’ – and they’re all competing to be named The Celebrity Apprentice winner. It’s surprisingly addictive to watch them navigate these challenges.

Lord Sugar explained that while many celebrities have visited his boardroom, they’ve only experienced a brief glimpse of what it’s like to be a contestant. He’s curious to see how these celebrities will perform throughout an entire series, especially without the support of their usual teams – assistants, publicists, and agents – as they fully enter the world of The Apprentice.

A special festive edition of The Celebrity Apprentice will air later this month, on December 29th and 30th. The show will feature Rob Rinder, Jake Wood, Eddie Kadi, JB Gill, Thomas Skinner, Matt Morsia, AJ Odudu, Kadeena Cox, Charlie Hedges, Sarah Hadland, Shazia Mirza, and Angela Scanlon.

This month, celebrities will travel to Lapland to bake a special festive gingerbread biscuit. They’ll then present their creations to major UK retailers, who will—for the first time ever on the show—sell the winning biscuit in stores nationwide. A portion of the profits will be donated to BBC Children in Need.

And there is plenty more to come from The Apprentice, with the main series returning in early 2026.

Kalpna Patel-Knight, who leads entertainment programming at the BBC, said they’re excited to bring a new series of The Apprentice to viewers in late 2026. She noted the show is a popular favorite and they’re looking forward to seeing how the celebrity contestants perform.

Paul Broadbent, Programme Director at Naked (part of Fremantle), said they’re excited to launch a full series of The Celebrity Apprentice. Viewers can look forward to two Christmas specials as a preview of what’s to come. Broadbent added that the celebrity contestants will need to put aside their pride and work hard, as they’ll be facing some tough but fun challenges.

The new series will probably be structured like the regular show. Lord Sugar has already explained that the format used for the Christmas special wouldn’t be suitable for a full series.

Karren Brady pointed out that people need to remember how far in advance things are filmed. Viewers are seeing the show as the products are being sold in stores, but the main part of the show is filmed over several weeks, with tasks happening one after another.

There’s a delay between filming and release, which makes it harder to respond quickly and make changes.

The first season of The Celebrity Apprentice will air on BBC One and be available on iPlayer sometime in 2026.

Don’t miss The Celebrity Apprentice! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app now for daily TV recommendations and exclusive content.

Authors

Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

I’m a huge fan of TopMob, and Katelyn Mensah is one of the main reasons why! She’s their Senior Entertainment Writer, and honestly, she covers everything – from the biggest shows on TV to all the latest reality dramas and really impactful documentaries. Before TopMob, she was already making waves at The Tab, writing about reality TV and celebrity news. She’s a fully qualified journalist too, with a BA (Hons) degree, so you know she knows her stuff!

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2025-12-11 14:04