About The Apprentice
Twists and turns ensure episode one is must-see TV...
Multi-award-winning series The Apprentice is back for a 12-week run, on BBC ONE at 9pm on Wednesday 26th March 2008. No-nonsense, self-made millionaire, Sir Alan Sugar returns to challenge a new group of 16 aspiring tycoons, all poised to battle it out in the toughest challenge of their lives.
The candidates lined up for series four include a barrister, a bank manager, a risk manager, and an ex-Army engineer. There is also a single mother, an international car trader, an artist, a former championship show jumper and an applicant with royal connections.
This new series raises the business bar, with more twists and turns than ever before. The demanding weekly challenges will see the teams sweat it out on rival projects.
Twenty thousand CVs were received from applicants around the UK – more than any other series before. The competition is stiff - after all, these ambitious business hopefuls are all successful in their chosen careers and everyone is hungry to reach the top! Rivalry is rampant, as all the candidates are desperate to walk away with the coveted prize of a six-figure salary and the opportunity to work for one of the most successful business moguls in the world.
With trusted aides Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford at his side, from the opening boardroom briefing Sir Alan makes it clear exactly who's in charge:
"One of you is going to end up working for me on a six figure salary, but I'll tell you what, the money doesn't mean anything. I've been in business for over 40 years. Your prize is working with me."
However, the boss has a trick up his sleeve as he surprises the wannabe apprentices in episode one. Thinking they are about to head off to relax in their new luxurious pad with a glass of champagne and a glimpse of the high life, Sir Alan plays the first wild card of the series;
"This is a business boot camp. Mary Poppins I am not. I'm not going to hold your hand, I'm not going to tell you what to do. You're on your own two feet. You might think you're going off now and settle in. Well, you're not. Business starts now."
It's right in at the deep end for the aspiring applicants as they will head off - still suited and booted for the boardroom - to their first, fish-themed task. Everyone involved is desperate to make their mark and prove their worth.
See how the candidates far on The Apprentice, programme one on BBC1, 9pm, on March 26th...
...And then turn over for The Apprentice:You're Fired! Hosted by Adrian Chiles, the BBC2 companion show provides an added dimension to The Apprentice experience as the fired candidate is grilled by celebrity fans and Britain's biggest business hotshots.
So who will face interrogation after making the fastest ever exit from The Apprentice? Who can talk their way out of trouble, avoiding a boardroom showdown at all costs? And who will hear Sir Alan's immortal catchphrase, "You're Fired"?
Welcome to The Apprentice, it's the job interview from hell.