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 😆

Am i remembering incorrectly, or isn’t this task usually later in the series, when the most dire have gone, and the remainder have at least learnt a thing or two?

That's my recollection too.

My other thought (after ‘why on earth am I watching this drivel), is why are people so keen to put themselves forward as PM for the first task? I presume they naively think it makes them ‘look good’, but the smart money is on biding your time until you better understand the strengths/weaknesses of the others, making sure you’re a strong contributor meanwhile.

In all honesty, all they had to do was befriend a HK auntie, she would have had half of those items in her home and she would've had contacts for the other half.
Done and dusted by lunchtime 🙌

It's a gamble. They are at higher risk of being fired in task one but as long as they hang in there (even if their team loses the first task) they have that in their back pocket for the rest of the process. They have a higher than 50% chance of staying in because one team will win, and as PM they have the choice of boardroom selection so can in theory give themselves better than 1/3 chance of being fired in the second boardroom.

Suralan's known pet hate is people who keep their heads down in the hope of passing under the boardroom radar. "I put my hand up to be PM in task one' is going to be very useful in future boardrooms as long as they make it that far!

The PM for this task was hopeless as she didn't instigate any strategy at the outset, so she was never going to stay in. The sub-team leader shot herself in the foot by being overly apologetic to her choices. I should think Karren's opinion that she was apparently not robust enough for the process also held sway.

I was already in my 30s in 2005 when it began! Nowadays most of the contestants look to me as though they should still be at school 😆

I do think Lord Sugar is a bit embarrassed by the prize which has not gone up for years, if ever. On the show he was selling the advice he can give etc. He needs to up the prize fund or he and the BBC do.
It means the pool of candidates probably reduces each year. As the £250,000 depreciates in value. And some people who might have gone on it years ago cannot or won’t give up time now to be on the show. You have to make it worthwhile. £250,000 ten or fifteen years ago was a lot more than today.
I don’t know who does the initial recruiting but over half are from London.

Karen needs to lay off the WLJ. Classic sunken face and thinning hair

It hasn't changed since 2011, which was when the present investment/business partner format was introduced. Before that the prize was a job working for Alan Sugar, with a salary of £100k, which at the time was obviously worth more than it would be now.

It changed after Stella English tried to sue Sugar for unfair dismissal when her contract wasn't renewed (and had complained that her role was that of a 'glorified PA').

The only one who appeared to understand how to negotiate was Rajan, who at least used a bit of charm and intelligence.
I've never known a team as hopeless as the women's.

Lord Sugar:, "I don't like bullshitters"
Candidate, "I've made a million"
LS, "made, or turned over?"
Candidate, "turned over"
🙄

I know, sick of the sight of the talentless twit. BBC keep pushing him on everything

They were too crap to even be entertaining for me.

I’m another who has watched since the first series. Tim was great. The Badger superb.

I just can't fathom how they were so bad. Genuinely.

I would add to the list of classic contestants - the late Stuart 'the brand' Baggs and Raef 'the spoken word is my tool' Bjayou.

They don't make 'em like that any more!

What’s astonishing is that is supposedly the best of the bunch to make it through the process. I dread to think what the others were like.

Or they are set up to fail with not enough time. One of the women said yesterday In the boardroom that there wasn’t enough time so it’s a possibility.

Very true @IHeartMyTissues and the phenomenon that was Saira Khan.

Wasn't enough time for what? They all have an opportunity to speak and defend themselves.
I think the trouble is that none of them appeared to be capable, organised or resilient.

Enough time for the task. Karren Baroness Brady retaliated with they had had all day. But they hadn’t even looked at the maps & information they had been provided with according to Lord Sugar.

She's 46 so hardly old 🤣

Yes, looking at the maps and directory would definitely have helped! Looking at the items to be found, cross referring with the directory, then consulting the maps would be the first stage. Then dividing it up between the sub groups. They were provided with a car. It just seemed chaotic, running around with little purpose.

Well exactly. And this is meant to be the best of the ones that apply.

I can’t sit and watch it, have to be doing something else and have it as background, I find it so cringe.
I can’t not watch it though, I’m drawn to it and I love Suralan.
Every year the candidates are so identikit.
The Badger will always be the best. I wonder if she knows this!

@IHeartMyTissues you made me laugh at this. Stuart Baggs of the infamous quote “they call me the postman because I always deliver”. 😂

The good old days when the candidates were still batshit but they had actual potential.