Lord Alan Sugar, Baroness Karren Brady, and Tim Campbell MBE celebrate 20 years of the beloved business program on BBC One.
Lord Alan Sugar is astounded that it’s been two decades since he first welcomed the most ambitious contenders of the business world into The Apprentice boardroom.
In BBC One’s The Apprentice, candidates compete in a series of challenges and tasks set by the 78-year-old tycoon to prove themselves worthy of entering into a 50/50 business with him, which would also receive a £250,000 investment.
Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell MBE, Lord Sugar’s two trusted business associates, watch their closely as they conduct this, which won the series’ inaugural finale in 2005.
Lord Sugar makes an remarks about the 20th anniversary of the show, saying, “It is an amazing milestone,” before later admitting that it will be the one thing many people will remember him for rather than his commercial success that earned millions of dollars.
You begin to wonder, “Wow, this is 20 years old when we started recording this series.” What’s amazing is Tim Campbell, who is now one of my advisors and won the first series, says Sugar, who launched Amstrad, his most successful business venture in 1968.
Because I had nine-year-olds who were now 29 when the program first aired 20 years ago, I believe it attracts a new audience each year. And the newest generation of 16-year-olds is settling in and adoring it. The audience grows as a result. The BBC keeps doing it because the audience is stifling it.
The Apprentice’s winner would receive a £1100,000 job working for Lord Sugar in the original format. However, the prize was changed to having the business tycoon as a partner instead from series seven.
Baroness Brady, 56, is currently West Ham United FC’s vice-chairman. She admitted that she had no idea the show would continue to thrive after 20 years.
It’s such a privilege to be a part of such a fantastic show, “. I’ve always promised to do it for Alan to do it. Not more or less, please. Therefore, being a part of it is truly wonderful. She said, “It’s a great show.”
It’s incredible to think the series has reached its 20th season, I believe. That represents a significant milestone for television programming. And now that 20 years have passed, I believe it speaks volumes about the strength of The Apprentice as a format and brand. It’s still entertaining, still competitive, and still relevant today.
And I believe the show has changed as the times go. Since series one, the business world has drastically changed, and the show has also changed. They are more entrepreneurial-minded, digitally savvy, and more aware of social impact and innovation.
“So I’m incredibly proud of what the show has accomplished. It’s not just about great TV; it also features real success stories and new businesses. We’ve helped to highlight the virtues of ambition, perseverance, and resilience, which are more crucial now than ever.
Lord Sugar isn’t sure if The Apprentice will continue to be a part of his long-lasting legacy or just another example of his accomplishments.
He acknowledges that it is something that “I will remember forever,” and that he is undoubtedly going to remember it as well.
“Although Donald Trump [who hosted the US version from 2004 to 2015] will tell you that he gave me the job, which he did not. But to be fair, he was the first one to do it in America. It is a great achievement to have helped so many businesses and inspired so many young people to consider business. And it’s a great achievement, I think, getting to 20 series. One has to thank the BBC for continuing to invest in this great product because that’s what it is.”
Businessman Campbell, 48, who was hired as project director of Lord Sugar’s newly launched health and beauty division at Amstrad for a salary of £100, 000, understands why The Apprentice holds such significance.
Campbell can only beg the accomplishments and influence he’s managed to establish in his life considering the extraordinary span of Lord Sugar’s career.
You would believe you were ancient and done on the street if you looked back 20 years and reached anywhere near 40 or 50 years old! However, he explains that Lord Sugar has been able to demonstrate the resilience of a good idea regardless of the time when it was first broadcast. “Almost 20% of the 6.4 million viewers who tune in each week are young people, make up the majority of the amazing young people who we get watching the show.” That leaves a wonderful legacy.
Campbell remarked, “I think the show is a big part of my history, obviously, because that’s where I got the chance to work with the then Sir Alan, now Lord Sugar, and really spread my wings in the world of business.
For me, seeing what mentorship and guidance actually can do means a lot. It offers a tremendous opportunity to change. I believe there is a lot of positive energy in terms of sustainability and British business, and there needs to be more attention given to supporting and supporting UK-based entrepreneurs.
“Isn’t it surprising that The Apprentice embodies a large part of British culture? And what that means to me is that with the right opportunities, a lot of hard work, determination, a little bit of mentorship, and, shall we say, fantastic opportunities can be found no matter where you start from, no matter who you are, no matter what you know.
* On Thursday, January 29, The Apprentice returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Source: Mirror
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