IT’S a British TV staple: a show where the suits are shiny, the contestants are dim – and drama is guaranteed.
Over the years, Lord Sugar’s boardroom has played host to countless scandals as contestants throw one another under an endless stream of busses – all to avoid hearing the dreaded words: “You’re fired”.
But while a few fireworks are expected every season, The Apprentice has, in recent years, become synonymous with scandal.
The BBC show has seen cheating dramas, race rows, and bullying accusations – to name a few; here we recount the most shocking.
Amy’s final ‘ban’ after Lord Sugar row
This series has seen its share of controversy already, but ahead of the final there has been yet another dramatic twist.
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This week we revealed fired candidate Amy Anzel has been BANNED from the final celebration show, after a tit-for-tat exchange over Lord Sugar’s mocking tweets.
In the wake of 48-year-old Amy’s firing, a not-so-sweet Lord Sugar tweeted: “Amy didn’t sell she was so slow. Slower than broadband Wi-Fi in Cornwall.”
Cosmetics entrepreneur Amy responded by emailing Lord Sugar, telling him his tweets were “nasty, hurtful and insulting”.
She’s since been dropped from spin-off show You’re Hired, which will air tonight after the final.
Series winner quits after 4 months
A true Apprentice success story, telecoms consultant Michelle Dewberry appeared in the second series of the show in 2006.
After impressing Lord Sugar, Michelle was duly hired by the business supremo – back in the day when the prize was a six-figure job rather than an investment.
But Michelle lasted just four months before she sensationally quit her lucrative new role, which she’d beaten over 15,000 applicants to win.
She went on to launch a number of money-saving websites, and stood as an MP before becoming a familiar face on TV as a pundit and presenter. She is thought to be worth around £3.5million.
Lottie race row
The 2019 series saw one of the show’s most shocking scandals, when librarian Lottie Lion was accused of racially abusing a fellow contestant.
Lottie, then 19, allegedly threatened Asian rival Lubna Farhan, 33, after the pair clashed in a WhatsApp group chat containing that year’s contestants.
“Seriously f*** off Lubna before I f****** knock you out,” Lottie said in the wake of an argument.
In a separate clash Lubna wrote: “Sometimes people with a character are characterless.” Lottie replied: “Shut up Ghandi [sic] that doesn’t even make sense.”
The Celeb Report revealed the shocking messages after a friend of one of the candidates saw them and deemed them racist.
After the story broke, Lottie said: “I appreciate the messages sent between myself and Lubna could come across as offensive but they were intended as a joke and no offence was meant by them.”
Boardroom scrap
We’re used to tensions running high in the boardroom, but in 2015 a disagreement between two candidates spilled over – for the first time – into a physical bust-up.
Events manager Selina Waterman-Smith, then 31, was given a verbal warning by show bosses for her role in an off-camera scrap with Charleine Wain, also then 31.
Eyewitnesses said a furious Selina gave her rival a shove as she was leaving the boardroom. Charleine was reportedly shocked, and didn’t retaliate.
The pair’s animosity had been brewing all season, and things got physical following an argument where Charleine had told Lord Sugar that Selina was “like a irritating wasp at a picnic”.
PM steps down during task after coup
Viewers were treated to another Apprentice first in 2013, when Luisa Zissman staged the show’s first ever coup.
The scandalous episode saw rival teams competing to design a dating site, but there was heartbreak in store for project manager Jason Leech.
There was clearly no love lost between Jason and rival Luisa, who accused Jason of being chronically indecisive before pushing him into stepping down as PM.
Jason duly made way, allowing Luisa to take over mid-task – in the show’s first ever abdication.
Lord Sugar didn’t take kindly to Jason’s meekness, and the deposed project manager was duly fired.
Secret ‘bullying’ scandal
Former RAF man Aaron Willis, 38, found himself at the centre of a secret “bullying” row this season after he was accused of “acting aggressively” in “explosive scenes” which never aired.
Navid Sole, 27, Harry Mahmood, 38, and Kathryn Burn, 29, all reportedly clashed with Aaron, and were left shocked and upset by his behaviour.
A source said: “Things often get heated but some scenes Aaron was in were explosive. He has a military background and doesn’t pull many punches.
“Some candidates felt bullied. Three were visibly upset. The BBC hasn’t shown those scenes. Some people think that was deliberate.”
Aaron said in response: “These accusations have no foundation and I find it disappointing that someone would decide to make these claims now, and in such a public way.
“Conversations can get heated during the process, but at no point was my conduct not compliant with the clear guidelines put in place by the producers.”
Race row over BAME eliminations
In series 15, irate viewers accused the show if being “racist” after seven black and ethnic minority candidates were fired early on.
Shahin Hassan, Kenna Ngoma, Souleyman Bah and Lubna Farhan were the first four contestants to get the boot.
They were followed out by Riyonn Farsad, Iasha Masood and Jemelin Artigas – meanwhile Lottie Lion remained, despite her confrontational behaviour and accusation of behind-the-scenes racism – which she denied.
Viewers claimed the sackings were “white privilege at work”, with one tweeting: “Just an observation: ALL the ethnic candidates have GONE (including Jemelin). This is some foul sh*t this year. #TheApprentice.”
Four’s company
One of the show’s sauciest scandals occurred in 2016, when producers were forced to step in after the contestants started getting a bit too close.
Make-up artist Grainne McCoy and marketing exec Paul Sullivan reportedly kissed, while ex-stripper Jessica Cunningham and Courtney Wood also cosied up in the house.
The four contestants would regularly disappear in the house, according to show sources, and both couples would be found in bed, making out under the covers.
At one point producers even had to step in.
The boys were told to go back to their own beds, but a relationship between Jessica and Courtney blossomed after the show.
Scandi ‘night of passion’
In 2019, Lottie Lion found herself making headlines again – this time because of her fling with 28-year-old fellow contestant Lewis Ellis.
Lottie, 19, hooked up with the digital marketing manager while they were on a task trip to Finland.
A source said: “It was no secret among hopefuls that Lottie and Lewis had a night of passion together while abroad on a task.
“They tried to keep it on the down-low but word soon spread.”
Cheating shock
The Apprentice was rocked by an affair in 2017, when contestants Jade English and eventual winner James White got together.
James was engaged at the time and Jade had a boyfriend, whom she had been with for three years.
Both contestants left their partners to be with each other.
In a post on her website, Jade, 25, explained how she and James, 26, built on their “genuine connection” to become “extremely close”.
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“There was clearly an attraction from the beginning,” a source told The Celeb Report at the time. “They’re both young and attractive people and they really got along during the process.
“They couldn’t resist getting to know each other that bit better during their time in the house.”
