The Apprentice 2026 - starts tonight - first stop Hong Kong!

[IHeartMyTissues]

Anyone else looking forward to the new series?

First task is the classic buying task, but it's taking place in Hong Kong.

There's also a new companion show - 'Unfinished Business' - let's hope it's a return to form after several years of the 'All About Tom Allen' show 😆

I think with AI and humans combined they could edit him out - if he was in the middle of a group, they would just move the group over his space. But at some point, if it's true the tweets weren't uncovered till after filming, he must have been one of PM, sub team leader or in the final boardroom which would make it tricky.

I did notice when releasing Carrington and Megan, Suralan said "I'm going to give you all a chance". Now, you would normally say of two people 'both' not 'all' and I did wonder if Levi had been there originally as a boardroom extra, but was more likely to have been simply a grammatical lapse from Suralan.

Didn't that feature in 'Rock & Chips" - the young Del Boy took someone there, set in around 1960 I think?

There was still a 'Gegg' in Slough into the 1990s. Used to go from work for lunch infrequently if I fancied an omelette and a lime milkshake.
It was a bit rough... 🤣

Just seen Levi in 'what's coming next week'

I’m finding the new format ‘Unfinished Business’ just sort of flat and naff. 😞

Plus, didn't Megan waste time being the hostess rather than helping?

I'm also fairly astonished that someone could have a Maths degree, yet be unable to do basic calculations. Extraordinary.

I think the background checks need to be better. Remember that doctor from Sheffield (maybe last series?) whose sm posts were full of antisemitism and misogyny?
I know he went before the GMC for that

Surely it's basic checking.

Tbf, when you are put under pressure like that it can make you fall apart! But also there’s no suggestion his numbers were the wrong ones!

and when it came to it - they were short of flour because they hadn’t taken into account the flour they needed to make the pasta

i dont think they messed up on ingredients this time so they made a little drama over it but I think it was a bit of a nothing

For clarity, an Apprentice candidate from 2024, Dr Asif Munaf was struck off the medical register for his antisemitic, misogynist sm activity.

Isn't part of this to test the ability to perform and succeed under pressure?
Going to pieces or making foolish mistakes under pressure isn't great.

Sure - but sometimes when you are used to doing very complex maths the really basic stuff suddenly needs your memory jogging!!

and I don’t think he actually got any of it wrong?

i thought pasta was a good shout for the egg though

Well I think it was poor. Anyone can do well in a quiet room with no time pressure. These people need to be a bit more resilient and self managing, I often think. The tasks are always against the clock.

Doesn't Andrea have four children. How can she not know how to boil and peel eggs?

I thought it was 5? Good point, though
Lord Sugar certainly seemed to know how!

Really? Oh dear...

The way she was handling the egg suggested she doesn’t peel very many! Didn’t realise she had so many kids - must not have been listening. DS finds her quite frightening looking!!!

i thought the guy who went was probably a bit boring for the show and they thought they’d get more mileage out of Megan

I get the impression they are given very tight deadlines so the pressure is very artificial.

however, he must have known this would come up and they would focus on him!!

These young people have absolutely no idea, how an earth did they pass the interview to get on this program is beyond me.

I was quite surprised they actually made decent profits.
Pasta would not have been my first thought for eggs so fair play to them.
I probably would've gone down the quiche route.

Scary thought isn't it that this lot was the best of the bunch for this cohort 😅

You are assuming they are looking for the best!!

I know! Maybe it's the selection process?
Do you just think none of them cope well with pressure?
Dan seemed quite calm, to be fair.

Fair point!

Absolutely!