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 😆

They spent the budget on week 1 in Hong Kong, or Singapore, or wherever it was.

I thought he might fire Lawrence as well, he deserved it.

Ah, and next week finishes up the budget.

Ah true..mean to be fair it would probably been a flower arranging class or something anyway with how it was heading last year

She's a MN dream!

Wow this cohort lucked out on the air miles - first week HK and now Egypt!

Agree with this

Does anybody me feel it’s slightly dodgy that one team decided on a theme that just happened to match exactly what the client was looking for whilst the other didn’t? Or was it genuinely just luck

The high end, tropical flowers including the deep red ones should in theory have been a good match with the 'The Devil Wears Prada' theme, the team just cocked up the flower wall,. I do think there was a 'match flower type to theme' going on for both sides which we didn't see.

I also think the arch was a much easier task than the flower wall. You can't go too far wrong sticking flowers and foliage into an arch, but the wall required design skills and artistry.

Yes, the wall looked like Gauguin had vomited into a flower bed. It could have worked, but really didn't.

I'm trying to think what they could've done for the flower wall to meet the high fashion brief?

Those tropical flowers on an arch could have looked great. On a wall not so much.

Also Rothna got the brief, it was a profit task pure and simple. The bouquet was £6/7 made up and even selling at £20 would have put them in profit. The other team over ordered and undersold. Conor was right.

The Country garden theme would be easier imo and flower arch

As with all Apprentice tasks it bears no resemblance to business at all.
Market research how much bouquets sell for. Talk to the client and set the budget.
Then buy the flowers.

As PP have said with this task just buy as cheap as possible and you will make a profit or less loss.

😂

They could have done a red stiletto on a white background, per the posters, but they'd have had to get the shoe perfect or it would look rubbish.

I am coming to this late as I am a little behind, just starting to watch the water advertising task.
I am loving the show, as always, and so glad it is back. It is one of only a handful of tv programmes I watch and I don't think I have missed an episode. I realise that it is extremely silly and bears no resemblance to how business actually works but I still find it thoroughly entertaining and am glad it's still going strong!
I have a friend who is similarly obsessed with it and we regularly compare notes on recent tasks and thoughts on the candidates, as well as reminiscing about classic moments from the past! I have a small child who loves being read to so I consider myself an expert on the kid's literature task, not often I actually know much about one of the tasks they're set so I take my wins where I can! The book the boys came up with was hilariously bad! I loved their attempts to bluff their way out of having left two blank pages by suggesting it was so readers could draw their own pictures, presumably of more defication!
The shopping task is always one of my favourites so loved the jaunt to Hong Kong, though still can't believe they did so badly. Surely a trip round a busy tourist market would have netted more items than they got since so much of the list seemed to be things people might commonly buy as souvenirs!
I have also noticed the absence of treats, though I'd argue that a lot of the tasks, like trips to Hong Kong and Egypt, seem like jollies to me! However, the way last year's prizes were going I think they might have been reduced to being rewarded by getting to clean Lord Sugar's cars or do his laundry by this year!
Anyway, I am excited to see what the rest of the series will bring and will be following this thread. Whether we will get another classic moment like the Artic Saviour, putting sweet crumble on fishcakes or ordering a whole chicken for every pizza I'm not sure, though I do hope so!

I have also come to the conclusion that I may be Tom Allen's only fan! I have loved him for years, primarily due to his lead role in the excellent Radio 4 sitcom 'Bleak Expectations', though i also saw him do stand-up once and was doubled up with laughter throughout his act. I am, therefore, always happy to see him on tv and still find him likable and funny, not intensely irritating, which is the opinion of everyone else I have ever spoken to about him. It stands to reason, therefore, that I am also likely the only person sad he is not hosting You're Fired any longer!

I love Tom Allen! I'd rather watch the Another Slice programme than actual Bake Off.

And re a PP's comment about The Apprentice still going strong? Is it? I only watch it now if there's nothing better to watch. And these threads used to be much livelier. I cannot bear Karren Brady's know it all comments edited in and think the programme has really had its day.

I too like Tom Allen.

Wanting fabulous but paying peanuts was a bit of an ask. I thought the tail part of the Devil Wears Prada flower wall worked and if they'd just stood someone in front of it to properly size up the horns they wouldn't have been wings, lol. Also, what's up with all the "bum shots" of the candidates getting into their rides 🙄

You're not alone. I love Tom Allen too and miss his You're Fired series

We are fans of Tom Allen too. My DD and I saw him years ago at the Lowry theatre, after we had seen him on Cats Does Countdown. He was in a small theatre and chatted to me during the break, when he was sorting out his music playlist. A few years later he was playing to a really big audience in the largest theatre.

We started to watch the after show, but thought it was trying to be like the podcast after the Traitors and Angela Scanlon isn’t Ed Gamble, so it didn’t really work for us.

I can’t seem to get to grips with these candidates and I’ve not managed to learn their names, apart from Andrea!

How come the winning team just get sent back to the house now? They used to get a treat. Has the BBC budget run out?

Sorry if already discussed!

Must be budget reasons. There wasnt really any need to give a team a reward every week for 20 seconds worth of footage. (Also spent the budget on Hong Kong).