Lord Sugar reveals 'heated exchange' cut from new series' premiere after 'shocking' performance from teams left him seething with disappointment
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Lord Sugar has revealed that there was a 'heated exchange' cut from new series' premiere after a 'shocking' performance from the two teams left him seething with disappointment.
The much-loved BBC show, which first hit our screens in 2005, is set to return this week for its 20th series.
Lord Sugar, 78, Baroness Karren Brady, 56, and Timothy Anthony Campbell MBE, 48, are back to put 18 new candidates through some tricky challenges, which at the end will see one of them winning an investment of up to £250,000 and a business partnership with Lord Sugar himself.
The first episode sees the teams head off to Hong Kong, where they will complete the classic scavenger hunt task - which will see them try and find a certain number of items in a certain amount of time around the region of China.
Although it may appear straightforward to some, both groups really struggled and didn't impress the business magnate in the slightest.
Speaking at the Q&A at the 20th series' press screening earlier this month, Lord Sugar said: 'It is a classic task. You'd think it's quite simple, wouldn't you?
Lord Sugar has revealed that there was a 'heated exchange' cut from new series' premiere after 'shocking' performance from teams left him seething with disappointment
The much-loved BBC show, which first hit our screens in 2005, is set to return this week for its 20th series
'Just for the audience's reference, we don't just pick nine items randomly, we actually sent people out there beforehand to do a dummy run, to go and find these things, so we know they're there. We know that they are gettable...'
He continued: 'Yeah, and I was a bit disappointed. I think it must have shown... to spend all that time and money of sending everybody to Hong Kong.
'And one of the teams only found two of them, and the other team found three of them, and even then they got wrong. It was quite shocking, really.
'And so I expressed my displeasure, from what I recall, what you've seen, you saw a kind of a mild disapproval from me...
'But there was actually a little bit more of a heated exchange when I told them how disappointed I was.'
Many of our favourite TV shows have gone on to film All Stars versions, and many have been left wondering if The Apprentice will ever end up running one of its own.
ITV's Love Island and I'm A Celebrity have both have previous stars return to the villa or jungle for an All Stars spin-off.
However, The Apprentice fans may be disappointed to hear the format won't be heading the BBC's way.
Lord Sugar, 78, Baroness Karren Brady, 56, and Timothy Anthony Campbell MBE, 48, are back to put 18 new candidates through some tricky challenges, which at the end will see one of them winning an investment of up to £250,000 and a business partnership with Lord Sugar himself
Lord Sugar said: 'Well, the point is, it's like asking you to sit a maths exam when you sat it the first time, and you knew the results.
'So, I mean, they know what to expect. To bring back people that have been there before. There's no surprise, really.
'So you say an All Star thing? No.'
He continued: 'It would be be a gimmick to be honest with you.
'And you know what? One of the reasons that, and I say this very respectfully, that the programme found in America, was because of gimmicks!
'Because every time they've wanted a new series, they've tried to mess around with the format.
'If it's not broke, don't fix it. That's why I say.'
During the question and answer, Lord Sugar joked: 'Your next question is going to be, "Am I going to give it up?", after explaining the programme's successful format.
The Apprentice fans of the show will be over the moon that it's not going anywhere, anytime soon
He was then told: 'You can answer that if you like, but what I was going to ask is whether you would ever have dreamt all those years ago that it was going to last so long.'
The Apprentice fans of the show will be over the moon that it's not going anywhere, anytime soon.
'No, I wouldn't, absolutely not, definitely not. That is my honest opinion,' Lord Sugar confessed.
He then continued: 'But just to answer my own question... we're signed up for another three years.
'So you've got me for another three years!'
Earlier this month The BBC announced a big change to The Apprentice for the upcoming 20th series and released a first look snap.
In a show first, viewers will see the candidates go head to head in Hong Kong, and the first episode will see the boardroom take place there.
In a trailer released earlier this month, Lord Sugar says: 'The twentieth series of The Apprentice is coming.
'Just because we've been doing this for a while, doesn't mean you know what's coming next. Let me tell you, you don't.'
Fans of the BBC show rushed to the comments section on YouTube to share their excitement.
One wrote: 'I can't wait for series 20. So looking forward to this. I absolutely love The Apprentice!'
Another added: 'Hell yeah.'
A third chimed in: 'Cant wait love the show.'
While a fourth opined: 'Following this since the beginning, absolutely love the show.'
The Apprentice returns to BBC One on 29 January and will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
