The Apprentice review: This tired format needs a rest - it has lost its way with fame-chasing candidates and repetitive tasks, fans deserve better

Have YOU got a story? Email [email protected]

READ MORE: The Apprentice 2025 lineup is REVEALED!

READ MORE: Apprentice star Baroness Brady looks unrecognisable

Published: 21:07 EST, 30 January 2025 | Updated: 05:18 EST, 31 January 2025

The Apprentice returned to our screens for its 19th series on Thursday night.

And viewers of the much-loved BBC show watched the brand new line-up start the battle for a £250,000 investment into a joint company with none other than Lord Alan Sugar, 77.

The programme certainly brought an element of entertainment, as it does every year, with the candidates clearly VERY confident in themselves and in everything that they do.

However as the episode unravels, it's clear that some of them have no idea what they are doing - and Sir Alan even picks up on this as he points out that some of their CVs have 'more crap than the River Thames' in them during their first encounter in the boardroom.

For example, hair transplant consultant Carlo confidentially claims in the opening scenes that what some people make in a month, he can earn in one hour.

And convenience store owner Amber-Rose Badrudin sensationally quips: 'Sleeping is overrated. I've got really big goals to hit. I can sleep when I'm dead.'

The Apprentice review: This tired format needs a rest - it has lost its way with fame-chasing candidates and repetitive tasks, fans deserve better

Perhaps most galling though is meal prep business owner Mia Collins, who admits that her level of competitiveness is 'disgusting' and then goes on to describe herself as the 'human equivalent of a tank'.

Don't get me wrong, The Apprentice is a very entertaining show and has always thrived on its larger-than-life personalities.

Watching the candidates clash, run around in a panic to make money, and throwing each other under the bus is in the DNA of the Thursday night hit.

Alan did switch things up slightly at the beginning with mixed teams of men and women, rather than pitching the sexes against each other as per usual.

However, despite that change, it very much feels like the same old formula every year - to the extent that the premiere felt predictable and lackluster.

The task of heading off to an international tourism hotspot to package and sell experiences has been done several times already.

The candidates were sent to Austria to set up and run a tour, flog tickets and impress travelers, all under the watchful eye of Karren Brady, 55, and Tim Campbell, 47.

Corporate project manager Emma Street and salon owner Nadia Suliaman fought it out to be project manager over at Team Glacier - but it was Emma who won the battle, after stressing that she studied hospitality management.

Partially deaf contestant Emma was the first to be booted off the show

Alan did switch things up slightly at the beginning with mixed teams of men and women, rather than pitching the sexes against each other as per usual

Meanwhile nobody put themselves forward at Team Forest, so pizza shop owner Anisa Khan took one for the team.

At the end of the episode it was Team Glacier who won the task as they made a profit of €230.60, while Team Forest left with a loss of €166.

Again, they headed on over to Bridge Cafe - and viewers were treated to the customary boardroom clash as the competitors blamed each other for the failure of the task.

However at this point the backstabbing feels more business as usual than bombastic, lacking jeopardy and venom compared to days of Katie Hopkins, Ruth Badger and Syed Ahmed (if you know, you know).

In the end, it was Emma who was sent home.

Many of the cast, including Amber-Rose, already have huge followings on social media.

The business owner made headlines prior to the show for her digital profile and boasts an incredible 765.7k followers on Instagram.

So it makes you think, are those applying to take part in the show just doing it for the fame, rather than genuine business goals?

For the first time, they cast a partially deaf contestant, who was unfortunately sent home after the first episode

Despite the tired format and repetitive tasks, the casting team did do a great job this year - for the first time, they cast a partially deaf contestant, who was unfortunately sent home after the first episode.

In the boardroom, Emma told Lord Sugar: 'If I may, I'm a little hard of hearing, I'm partially deaf, so I won't be offended if any of you shout at me.'

Just last year on Reddit, one intrigued fan asked of the show: 'Just been wondering since there’s been a lot of firsts for the deaf community in film and TV in recent times, but if there was on the next series, it’d be fun to see a candidate communicate via sign language (namely BSL).'

Some of the UK's most popular TV shows, including ITV's The X Factor, were taken off our screens after a number of years.

It makes one wonder if the best thing for The Apprentice would be a hiatus - a detox for viewers that would give them a chance to miss the show and make a return a few years down the line feel fresh.

A factory reset might be just what the doctor ordered before the BBC have to tell Lord Sugar himself 'you're fired!'

Watch The Apprentice on BBC.