The Apprentice

Alan Sugar has accidentally revealed on Twitter the winner of this year’s ‘The Apprentice’, three weeks before the final is due to air.

The businessman traditionally follows the show’s winner on Twitter, but no other contestants.

So when looking at Alan’s following list on the social media site, some fans were shocked to see that one contestant had got a follow from Lord Sugar.

Continue reading: Did Alan Sugar Just Accidentally Reveal This Year's 'Apprentice' Winner?

Scott Saunders, a contestant on this year’s ‘The Apprentice’, has reportedly walked out on the show after a confrontation with Alan Sugar. The 27-year-old was said to have been tired of Lord Sugar’s constant criticisms and told the panel, 'Thank you for the opportunity, but I quit.’

‘The Apprentice’ boss Alan Sugar.

A source close to Saunders told The Sun On Sunday that he had become tired of being torn down by Sugar and his assistants Karen Brady and Claude Littner, 'He said they went for him like a pack of vultures. Lord Sugar was absolutely ruthless,’ the source said.

Continue reading: 'The Apprentice' Contestant Scott Saunders Reportedly Quits After Rows With Lord Sugar

It is, with regret, that we have to tell you Nick Hewer has resigned as Alan Sugar's confidante on British business competition show 'The Apprentice' after ten years by his side. It is unknown as yet as to who will replace him.

Nick Hewer bids farewell to 'The Apprentice'

Known for his quizzical eyebrows and cutting comments, Nick Hewer would be an ominous presence watching over the tasks of one of two teams on the show, before subsequently snitching on them to Lord Sugar when they were called to the boardroom. Now, however, the 70-year-old has decided to leave his post, admitting that he's no longer up to the task of following groups of young, enthusiastic, would-be entrepreneurs for twelve weeks as they rush to complete their assignments.

Continue reading: You're Retired! Nick Hewer To End His Ten Year Stint On 'The Apprentice'

As The Apprentice returns, the effortlessly grumpy Lord Alan Sugar was at pains to avoid talking about his recent court case against a former Apprentice winner and keen to discuss exactly what it is that makes The Apprentice such a success. “The show provides a service,” he’s quoted as saying, in a report from The Independent. “It shows how you can start a business with £250,000 which is not a lot of money.” Really? A quarter of a million pounds isn’t a lot of money? Try telling that… well… pretty much everyone we’ve ever met.

Still, luckily for Alan Sugar, the kind of contestants that The Apprentice attracts aren’t exactly known for their humility, or for having a particularly strong connection with reality. “I take inspiration from Napoleon. I'm here to conquer,” states one contestant boldly, in the opening episode. Another goes for a two-pronged approach: “I have the sex appeal of Jessica Rabbit and the brain of Einstein.” Right. Of course you do. Sir Alan Sugar does a good job of pretending to be bored of “all these bloody clichés.” You know the ones. Those clichés that made the show popular in the first place; the ones that continue to keep the show propped up in the TV ratings and line his pockets year in, year out. Those ones. The selfish, petty bitching, the cringeworthy, hyperbolic business speak, the total lack of common sense, barely veiled by an over-priced education. Yep. Those clichés.

However, Sugar’s no fool. He knows what he wants but he also knows what the viewers expect. “You need a balance between credibility and entertainment,” he says. Essentially, you’ll always have a Stuart Baggs in with the Richard Bransons. 

Continue reading: The Apprentice Returns: Is Alan Sugar Really Bored Of All Those Clichés?

Everyone’s favorite corporate entertainment (and you thought those words couldn’t go together), The Apprentice, is soon to be back for its 9th season on air. The trailer has just been released and, while you don’t see any of the contestants, the trailer does a pretty good job of conveying the stressful, highly competitive business environment of the show. You don’t see the host Lord Sugar, and you don’t see any of the people, who will be vying for the top spot this season. All you really see is an office, from various angles, with word art flying all over the place. But hey, if you haven’t lived in a cave for the past decade, you’ve probably seen at least a little of the Apprentice – whether you wanted to or not. But hey, at least the soundbytes are pure gold. At one point, someone addresses the host with “Ahhh … man.” And his response is, “No, I’m not man. … I’m Lord Sugar.” And that’s not even half of it. Some of the better moments include:

“You shut up … you shut up … and you talk.”

“Shut up. You told me you could do things you lot. You can’t.”

Continue reading: Tremble In Fear, Mere Mortals, The Apprentice Is Back On Air

Stella English, the 2010 winner of The Apprentice has lost her claim for constructive dismissal against Lord Alan Sugar and has been branded a “serial liar” and “desperate for money” in the process, according to a report from The Guardian. Stella, 34, claimed that she had been patronised by Sugar’s employees and demeaned. When she left one job and took a new role at another of Sugar’s companies, she was told “there is no job,” apparently reinforcing her idea that the job she supposedly won at the end of the TV show was little more than a sham.

Alan Sugar was ferocious in his defence and said “I have been cleared of a derisory attempt to smear my name and extract money from me. The allegations were without substance, and I believe this case was brought with one intention in mind: the presumption that I would not attend the tribunal, that I would not testify and that I would settle out of court, sending Ms English on her way with a tidy settlement. I'm afraid she underestimated me and her reputation is now in tatters. I have principles and I am not going to be forced to compromise them, no matter how much time and money they might cost me."

During the tribunal, English, from Whitstable in Kent described the job at Viglen as a “PR construct” and explained that she was given a phone and a desk but was not given any specific job duties. During the trial, it was revealed that the sixth series of the Apprentice, which she won, finished filming in November 2009. However, it was not until 3 days before the finale was broadcast, 13 months later, that she found out she had won. 

Continue reading: The Apprentice Winner Stella English Loses Constructive Dismissal Claim Against Alan Sugar