The Apprentice

Lord Sugar's business hopefuls jet off to Hong Kong on a mission to secure nine items at knock-down prices. In the boardroom, the boss is back and the firing finger is fully loaded.

Once upon a time, 18 candidates were tasked with creating a storybook. Unfinished illustrations and a stinky storyline mean the fairy tale is over, and another candidate is fired.

Week 3, and it's chicken v egg. The candidates race to turn ingredients into a profit, but ruffled feathers and picky eaters spark drama in the boardroom.

The candidates must tap into the bottled water market to create a TV advertisement and a social media campaign, but watered-down branding and wishy-washy ads mean a candidate is filtered out.

The candidates turn petals into profits, selling flowers to the public and corporate clients. But a bunch of problems lead to a pruning in the boardroom.

The candidates head to Egypt to put on corporate away days. One team heads to the desert but ends up having a bumpy ride, and the rest run a lagoon tour which is anything but relaxing.

It's week 7, and the candidates take on virtual reality fitness. They're tasked with building demos and brands before chasing investment. In the boardroom, for one team, it's game over.

For their first task, Lord Sugar's candidates are sent to Austria to sell and run Alpine tours. Poor sales and bullish negotiations mean it's auf Wiedersehen for one candidate.

The candidates create a new virtual pop star and music video before pitching for sponsorship. Dodgy design and mediocre music leads to one candidate being declared a flop.

It's week three, and the candidates are sent to Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, to secure nine items. After a comedy of errors, tragedy strikes for one candidate.

The teams must create a new chocolate Easter egg to sell to industry buyers, but faults with flavours and scrambled branding lead Lord Sugar to crack down on another candidate.

The candidates jet off to breathtaking Türkiye to run corporate away-day experiences. Prioritising profit and substandard service result in another candidate being fired.

The teams design a kids' banking app and accompanying money box to pitch to industry experts, but an absence of education and disjointed designs lead to one candidate being fired.

This week, candidates create and advertise their own hot sauce to pitch to experts. Basic branding, absurd adverts and critical errors lead to a shock result in the boardroom.

It's the return of the iconic TV shopping task, where candidates select products before selling live to the nation on one of the country's leading shopping channels.

The candidates launch an environmentally conscious fashion brand, but after risky style choices and run-of-the-mill designs, another candidate is sent packing.

Week eleven, familiar faces return to do a deep dive into the business plans of the final five. The pressure is on as naive numbers and preposterous plans are revealed.

Week One. Lord Sugar's candidates host a corporate away day in the Scottish Highlands. Back in the boardroom, one candidate is sent packing.

It's week two and the candidates manufacture miniature cheesecakes to sell to the public and corporate clients. But crumbling cakes and maths meltdowns lead to a firing in the boardroom.

It's week three, and the teams create a new virtual escape room to pitch to industry experts. Boring branding and confusing concepts lead to one candidate being fired.

It's week four, and the candidates are sent to Jersey to secure nine items synonymous with the area. After a race to the finish, it's au revoir for another candidate in the boardroom.

Lord Sugar's candidates launch a new Formula E team before pitching for sponsorship, but questionable designs jeopardise multimillion-pound negotiations.

The candidates must design and create a brand new breakfast cereal to sell to industry buyers. Bland recipes and boring boxes result in another candidate being fired.

Lord Sugar's candidates touch down in the Hungarian capital of Budapest to sell and run bespoke tours. Back in Blighty, one candidate is sent packing.

Lord Sugar's candidates brand and create an advertising campaign for a new electric vehicle. Boring branding and confusing adverts mean one candidate hits the brakes.

The teams are tasked with choosing a selection of products to sell live to the nation on one of the UK's leading TV shopping channels.

Lord Sugar's candidates are tasked with creating a new vegan alternative to cheese to pitch to major retailers. But unusual recipes and bland brands result in another candidate being fired.

Some familiar faces are back to interrogate the business plans of the final five, and with £250,000 in touching distance, there's tears, tension and tough love.

Two finalists will be tasked with launching a new business and pitching it to Lord Sugar for the chance to win his £250,000 investment and become his next business partner.

Lord Sugar's search for a new business partner is back, and this year's 18 candidates kick things off on the magnificent Caribbean island of Antigua. Under the watchful eye of Baroness Karren Brady and Claude Littner, the teams must sell and run bespoke tours. After bickering on the beach and some woeful negotiations, back in the boardroom, one candidate is sent packing.

For week two, the candidates are summoned to Hutong at The Shard in Central London. Lord Sugar reveals that they will be manufacturing savoury bao buns to punt to the public and a bespoke sweet bun to sell to a corporate client, with the team who secures the biggest overall profit winning.One team bites off more than they can chew with a Jurassic-themed bun, leading to explosions in the kitchen, while the other team are left in short supply after a maths meltdown. In the boardroom, one member of the losing team is sent packing.

Week three and the candidates are summoned to London's Regent Street Cinema for an exclusive screening. Lord Sugar reveals they must create a new preschool cartoon aimed at two-to-four-year-olds to pitch to industry experts. One team showcases incomplete characters, whilst the other presents a sketchy storyline.

The candidates are sent to buzzing Brighton and Hove, one of the fastest growing cities in the UK. Here, amongst the bustling streets, the candidates must secure and negotiate nine items synonymous with the area. The team that secures the most items at the lowest prices, wins. Then, back in the boardroom, it's rock bottom for another candidate.

The candidates are tasked with branding an electric motorbike and creating an advertising campaign before pitching to a panel of experts.Passionate about motorbikes, one project manager has his vision ignored, while the other team's advertising campaign backfires when they focus on story rather than subject.In the boardroom, sparks fly as one candidate is fired.

It's week six, and the candidates jet off to the cosmopolitan city of Dubai. Here they must put on a corporate away day for two international clients based in the city.While one team shows off the glitz and glam of the city, the other goes for a more traditional approach in the desert. But it's the team with the most profit at the end that will win.Back on home soil, it's the end of the road for another candidate.

It's week seven, and the candidates must design a new lunchbox aimed at six-to-eight-year-olds, along with an app to encourage healthy eating.For one team, a clear vision helps them take a bite out of the market. On the other, poor decisions and a lack of vision leads to dreary designs.In the boardroom, there's no such thing as a free lunch as one candidate is fired.

It's week eight, and the candidates' task is to host immersive events in Shropshire. They must sell tickets, book entertainment and organise food and drink. The team that produces the biggest overall profit wins.One team deals with confused convicts, whilst the other team narrowly avoids a dining disaster. In the boardroom, it's lights out for one candidate as they're told ‘You're fired'.

For week nine, the candidates must design a new men's skincare product, then pitch it to industry buyers. For one team, wrangling over a recipe leads to a disastrous skin-staining goo, meanwhile a lack of creativity on the other team results in an unoriginal concept. In the boardroom, Lord Sugar decides to wash his hands of not just one candidate, but two, in a shock double firing!

For week ten, the candidates are tasked with creating and branding a new dog food before pitching to major retailers.In the kitchen, one team wrangles with their recipe, making a dog's dinner of their signature dish, whilst on the other team a premium product fails to deliver. On the branding teams, candidates bicker to be top dog. With plenty to chew over, Lord Sugar sends one candidate for walkies.

In the penultimate episode, some familiar faces return as the final five entrepreneurs and their business ideas are interrogated by Lord Sugar's trusted advisers. A deep dive into their business plans reveals fictitious figures, crazy concepts and absurd ambitions.For one candidate, it's the end of the road as Lord Sugar tells them 'You're fired'.

The two finalists go head-to-head one last time to become Lord Sugar's new business partner and win his £250,000 investment.With the help of some familiar faces, they must launch their business, create a new brand for their company, produce a digital billboard, direct and edit a TV advert and design a metaverse, then pitch it all to Lord Sugar and industry experts at a black-tie event.

This year's 16 candidates set sail from Portsmouth, their first task being to come up with marketing campaigns for a new cruise liner.

Lord Sugar tasks his candidates with marketing a brand-new electric toothbrush aimed at children aged between six and eight. They must also create an accompanying app that encourages youngsters to brush their teeth before pitching their package to two major buyers. One team takes on an intergalactic space theme with hopes of it rocketing them to success, while the other takes a chance with a magical masterplan. As usual, Karren Brady and Tim Campbell act as Lord Sugar's eyes and ears on the ground.

Lord Sugar and his candidates meet at Mercato Metrapolitano in Mayfair, a former church now offering artisan food and drink from around the world. Whetting the candidates' appetite for this week's task, the peer reveals they will be creating and branding a new non-alcoholic drink, before hosting a launch event where they will pitch and sell their product to leading retailers. One team plays it safe with flavours but struggles to replicate a key ingredient, while a fruity late addition in the other side's drink isn't to everyone's taste. As usual, Karren Brady and Tim Campbell act as Lord Sugar's eyes and ears on the ground.

The candidates enter the choppy waters of the fish business - sourcing and creating a fish dish to sell to the public. Half the team heads down to Cornwall, with members having to find their sea legs while fishing for their chosen catch of the day. The other half remains in London, convincing a top corporate client to buy into the dish. At the food market, competition is tough between the stalls while selling their fishy fare to the public. However, bad businesses decisions and poor planning mean one team's chances of winning sink without a trace. Karren Brady and Tim Campbell act as Lord Sugar's eyes and ears on the ground.

The teams' next task is to create their own computer game and pitch their concept to a panel of hugely successful games investors.

In a tourist hot-spot in north Wales, the candidates run their own highland railway, quarry tour and zip line.

The candidates gear up to design, brand and pitch their own electric driverless vehicle.

The remaining candidates lay on a racing-themed corporate away day at Silverstone, including a tour, a racing experience and food and drink.

The teams are set one of their most intense challenges yet: to sell live to the nation on one of the country's leading TV shopping channels.

Lord Sugar summons the remaining candidates to KidZania in west London, where he reveals that their next task is to create and brand a new baby food.

With just two more tasks remaining, the remaining aspiring entrepreneurs go under the microscope, revealing the real people behind the businesswear.

The remaining candidates are summoned to 70 St Mary Axe in the heart of the City of London to face the scrutiny of Lord Sugar's most trusted advisors, who are primed to pick apart their business plans.Each candidate goes head-to-head with the business bigwigs as they battle to back their plans.There's tough talking, turmoil and tears as bravado breaks, egos are eradicated, and business plans bulldozed.In the boardroom, it's Lord Sugar's chance to give them a grilling. Only two can progress to the final. The rest are told, you're fired!

With the final just days away and Lord Sugar on the cusp of choosing his new business partner, he looks back on the candidates who fell before the final hurdle and the tasks that took them to the brink.This year's candidates have created marketing campaigns on the high seas, sought ticket sales in Wales and were driven to distraction in Silverstone. They got a handle on designing a new kid's toothbrush, didn't bottle it when it came to making a new non-alcoholic drink and channelled their energies when selling live on TV, all while having a bizarre obsession with green and brown!Lord Sugar leads us through the best and worst decisions made by this year's aspiring entrepreneurs. Reflecting on their boardroom bust-ups, he lets us in on the reasons he decided to utter the dreaded words, ‘You're fired!'

Lord Sugar summons the two front-runners to the British Museum to set them their final challenge. To win his £250,000 investment, each finalist must launch a new business - and some of this year's fired candidates are welcomed back to help them out. They have three days to create a new brand for their company, produce a digital billboard and direct and edit a television advert. Then they must pitch the business to Lord Sugar and a room full of industry experts at London's Pennington Street Warehouse.

A new group of 16 hopeful candidates embark on their first challenge of the competition. The contestants are sent 6,000 miles from London to the capital city of Cape Town in South Africa, where they are tasked to set up and run their own safari and vineyard tours. One team's brash approach to ticket sales causes commotion, while on the other team premium prices prove problematic.

The teams are challenged to create, manufacture and sell their own ranges of ice lollies.

In the third week of the competition, the candidates join Lord Sugar at London's Cambridge Theatre, where they find out the next task will challenge them to design a toy for six-to-eight-year-olds, along with an online video to promote their brand. The teams must create their toys and prepare their pitches, before presenting their concepts to some of the biggest names in the toy industry. Back in the boardroom, one candidate from the losing team will be sent home.

In the fourth week of the competition, the candidates are challenged to create their own range of electric bikes, before hosting their own launch event to sell their bikes to some of the UK's biggest cycle retailers. As the task unfolds, half of the team head to Nottingham to develop their new bike, while the other half of the team stay in London to choose accessories and create marketing material. At their events, poor pricing strategies and forceful tactics prove problematic, and back in the boardroom, one candidate is sent home.

Lord Sugar sends the candidates to the historic university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, where they will attempt to procure nine items that are associated with both places.

Lord Sugar challenges the candidates to create and market a new rollercoaster.

The candidates must create an advertising campaign to persuade UK tourists to visit Finland. Finland is known as a winter destination, but this campaign must entice us to visit during the summer.

The teams host a corporate away day onboard the iconic Belmond British Pullman train.

Lord Sugar challenges the candidates to act as talent managers. They must audition unsigned musicians, choose which one to represent, then head to a studio to create a remix of one of their tracks.

Lord Sugar asks the candidates to don their lab coats and goggles as he challenges them to create and sell their own perfume.

The five remaining candidates are put under the microscope, revealing the real people behind the business wear.

The final five candidates go head to head with Lord Sugar's advisors as they present their business plans and face the bigwigs' scrutiny.

With Lord Sugar on the cusp of choosing his new business partner, we look back on the candidates who fell before the final hurdle.

To convince Lord Sugar they're worthy of his cash, the last two candidates must now launch their businesses, with a little help from some of those who were fired.

Under the scrutiny of Karren Brady and Claude Littner, the candidates are tasked with tackling their first challenge abroad. The teams fly to Valletta in Malta, for a day-long shopping spree. The challenge is to bag nine Maltese items for the lowest possible prices before reuniting at the airport at 7pm. One team quickly hits the road, but they are clearly on the wrong track. On the other team, fiery personality clashes over negotiations quickly rock the boat.

Lord Sugar summons the candidates to the House of Illustration, the UK's only gallery dedicated to graphic art. On arrival, the teams are greeted by their business superhero as they have never seen him before. Via augmented-reality technology, Lord Sugar reveals that the candidates are to create a brand new comic aimed at eight- to 12-year-olds. They need to invent a new comic name, main character and original story as well as design a dynamic front cover using cutting-edge AR. With comics printed overnight, they need to pitch to leading industry figures to secure orders. The task balances creative flair with productive pitching, and the team that forgets either could face a graphic showdown in the boardroom.

Lord Sugar summons the candidates to an 18th-century tidal mill in the heart of London's East End for their third task. The candidates are challenged to manufacture and sell upmarket doughnuts to both a corporate client and the public. One half of each team researches flavours, while the rest set out to bag a bespoke order from a corporate client. For one team, a decision to add spice turns up the heat, while on the other, using teabags causes tension. In the kitchen, a strategy to prioritise volume over quality control results in doughnut chaos, while the rival team face a lack of direction and a tricky corporate order.

The candidates are summoned to London's Royal Albert Hall, where Lord Sugar sets them the challenge of selling at one of the world's largest bodybuilding expos. Based at the NEC in Birmingham, the teams must tempt bodybuilders to part with their cash in exchange for high-end products and services aimed at fitness fans. With all candidates under pressure to get sales, it's a frantic fight to the finish as the teams muscle in on any last-minute action.

The candidates congregate at London's Adelphi Theatre, home to hit musical Kinky Boots. Hot on their heels is Lord Sugar with a challenge for them to put their best foot forward in the world of ladies' shoe design. Candidates must create and market a brand new shoe, along with putting together an event to launch and sell their product to major industry players.

The candidates are summoned to London City Airport, where Lord Sugar sets them the task of devising a marketing campaign for a brand new budget airline. They need to come up with a distinctive brand, make a 30-second TV advert and design a uniform that flies the flag for their new airline.

Lord Sugar summons the candidates to Crossrail's leafy roof garden, nestled above the new Elizabeth Line station in Canary Wharf, where he sets them a gardening task. The teams must set up their own urban gardening business, carrying out commercial and domestic jobs across London. On day one, both PM teams visit corporate clients to pitch a plan and secure a price for a large rooftop renovation.

Lord Sugar instructs the candidates to head north to Scotland, meeting at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, where they are tasked with becoming art dealers, selecting a contemporary artist's work to sell at their very own gallery event. To top up takings, teams must also make merchandise adorned with their chosen artist's work. The team that generates the most money from art commission and merchandise sales are the winners.

Lord Sugar summons the remaining candidates to TV Centre in west London, the iconic former headquarters of the BBC. On arrival, the teams are tasked with their most pressurised challenge yet. In just ten hours they will be selling live to the nation on one of Britain's leading TV shopping channels. Teams must tune in to the best products to sell, as well as direct a promo to boost sales of one of their items. The team that generates the most sales will win.

Lord Sugar pays the six remaining candidates a flying visit, challenging them to cash in on the lucrative Christmas market.

An in-depth look at the final five candadiates, featuring interviews from family, friends and loved ones, as well as Lord Sugar's trusted aides Baroness Brady and Claude Littner.

The final five candidates face the scrutiny of Lord Sugar's most trusted advisors, who are primed to put each of their business plans under the microscope.

Lord Sugar looks back at the candidates who fell before the final hurdle and the tasks that took them to the brink, with the help of some previously unseen boardroom moments.

The finalists must now launch their businesses by producing a digital screen and directing a TV advert, before pitching to Lord Sugar and a room full of industry experts.

Under the scrutiny of Karren Brady and Claude Littner, the candidates are put to the test with their first task, rising before dawn to manufacture burgers. The teams have just one day to turn their meaty burgers into a healthy profit by selling them to hungry Londoners.

For week two, Lord Sugar summons the candidates to Stoke Park, an impressive five-star hotel, and they learn that they will be working as interior designers. They need to make over a bedroom at the hotel and pitch their design to the hotel manager and a leading interior designer. Getting a look that is worthy of a five-star hotel is important, but the teams also need to keep one eye on their profit margin.

The candidates are summoned to London's new Design Museum, where Lord Sugar assigns them a robot-themed task. For one half of each team it is time to get creative and programme a prototype robot, while the other half must sell toy robots.

As the competition continues, Lord Sugar instructs the candidates that this week's task is to set up and run a corporate box, and sell merchandise to the masses at the Women's FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in London. The team members chosen to organise the boxes meet their match when they come face to face with the clients and their negative comments. The following day at the big game, guests in one of the corporate boxes are unhappy as supplies run dry, while those selling merchandise outside struggle with last minute pricing strategies

As Lord Sugar celebrates his 70th birthday, the contestants are tasked to a shopping spree across London to purchase items that mark milestones in his life and career. The candidates have one day to find nine specific items at the best possible price, before meeting at the House of Lords. For one team, there is confusion over the mystery object, while poor planning leaves the other team lagging behind. In the boardroom, Lord Sugar gives out warnings, as well as hefty fines, before sending one contestant home

Lord Sugar sends the candidates off to Bruges, Belgium, where they are tasked with creating a high-quality tour of the city that cruise ship passengers would be happy to pay good money for. Back on the ship, the teams must flog souvenirs to guests to top up their profit margins.

Lord Sugar instructs the candidates to create advertising campaigns for a brand new car. The teams take two paths - one half produce a television advert, while the other create a digital billboard advert. Both teams must then pitch their finished campaigns to industry experts.

Lord Sugar tasks the candidates with proving their pedigree by running their own doggy service businesses. Based at an established pooch-pampering venue, the teams must tempt discerning dog owners to part with their cash for services aimed at their four-legged friends.

Lord Sugar tasks the candidates with cooking up a concept for a new recipe kit. Half-baked branding and kitchen nightmares result in sour pitches. Then in the boardroom, one candidate is toast.

Lord Sugar tasks the candidates with becoming fashion agents, selling garments for designers. They must select a designer, plan and organise a catwalk show and put together a magazine cover to supplement their sales campaign. One team's lack of fashion sense leads to handbags at dawn, and a no-frills magazine pitch ruffles a few feathers. A bad negotiation leaves the other team exposed, and further embarrassment comes from mismatched information about their chosen designer. In the boardroom, Lord Sugar decides who is no longer on trend.

As Lord Sugar's search for his next business partner nears its finale and just two tasks remain, this in-depth look at the real people behind the final five candidates reveals where their drive and ambition hascome from, as well as what makes their business brains tick. Featuring interviews from family, friends and loved ones, along with Lord Sugar's trusted aides Baroness Karren Brady and Claude Littner, this programme delves into the candidates' backgrounds and remembers their peaks and troughs throughout the process so far, as they attempt to get one step closer to Lord Sugar's cash.

The final five candidates are summoned to Lord Sugar's newly refurbished offices in the City, where they are joined by some of Lord Sugar's closest associates, who are ready to put the candidates through their paces in the toughest of interviews. Each candidate goes head to head with a business heavyweight and attempts to prove their worth in the fight of their lives.

A look back at candidates from this year's series of The Apprentice who fell before the final hurdle. They redesigned five-star hotel rooms in a shade of trifle, sang at a Wembley FA Cup final, programmed robots to 'downward dog' and trained dogs to do a hoedown. With the help of some previously unseen boardroom insights, Lord Sugar leads viewers through the best and worst decisions made by the candidates. He looks back on the bust-ups in the boardroom and explains how he came to decide who should be fired.

For the final head to head, in the fight to win a ú250,000 investment, the remaining candidates go to London's Sky Garden in the City. Hoping to help the two front runners flourish are past candidates from this year, who are hand-picked to make up the teams. The grand finale is a three-day challenge, where the finalists have to bring their business plans to life in order to prove their concept has the potential to grow big. The finalists must create brands and ad campaigns before pitching to a room full of experts in City Hall.

Having invested £1.25 million in five successful start-up companies, Lord Sugar is on the hunt for his next investment. Punishing tasks and testing challenges, all under the watchful eyes of Baroness Brady and Claude Littner make this the toughest Apprentice yet.

The candidates are summoned to the Istituto Marangoni, where Lord Sugar tells them that for their next task they must create an advertising campaign for jeans made from Japanese denim. Teams need to design packaging, film a TV advert and create an attention-grabbing bus shelter advert, all before pitching the whole campaign to a panel of leading industry experts.

Lords Sugar sets the candidates a task in which they must design and manufacture their own brand of sweets, before heading to Brighton to sell them.

The candidates are summoned to Drapers' Hall, where they learn that for their next task they will be taking over part of the world-famous department store Liberty of London. The teams have to introduce a new product line to promote and sell in the store, and they must also run a personal-shopping service for some of London's most discerning shoppers. It is boom or bust as the teams have two days to fight it out and see who can turn premium stock into a pretty penny.

Lord Sugar sets the candidates the task of helping two entrepreneurs launch their new cycling product and getting the public to invest through crowdfunding. The teams must organise a PR stunt, create a campaign video and then pitch to a group of cycling retailers to try to secure orders.

The candidates are enjoying a well-deserved day of rest and relaxation when the peace is shattered by the shrill ring of the house phone. With only 20 minutes to get ready, it's off with their comfy casuals and into their business suits. Lord Sugar wants to meet them at the View on the 69th floor of the Shard.Surrounded by panoramic views of the sunset, Lord Sugar reveals that he is sending the candidates out to work the night shift. They have to stay awake, find nine items, negotiate the best possible price and be back at the Shard by 6.00am. The team that spends the least amount of money will win the task.One team quickly zooms off into the darkening streets of London, confident they will be finished quickly and home for an early night. But the other struggles to get off the starting block as one candidate is too distracted by the impressive views to be helpful.As the evening draws on, the teams battle with closing times and tired shop owners. Negotiations hit rock bottom when the only discount one team manage is 35 pence off a single item. When language barriers send one team on a wild goose chase it's a mad dash back in time for sunrise.Dawn breaks and it's a bleary eyed boardroom. But there are no excuses accepted for unlucky candidates who face Lord Sugar's firing line.

Lord Sugar instructs the candidates to tap into one of the UK's biggest markets - the boating and leisure industry. The task is simple - pick the right products and sell them at Poole Harbour Boat Show.

The candidates are summoned to the National Portrait Gallery, where Lord Sugar instructs them to organise an exclusive late-night event at two of London's biggest tourist attractions - the London Aquarium and Madame Tussauds. In under 36 hours, each team must organise and host an event to remember, keeping an eye on profits but also pleasing the punters. From setting up refreshments and entertainment to making sure they sell enough tickets to fill their venue, both teams have a challenge on their hands.

After a leisurely morning in the house, the candidates are shocked when Karren and Claude appear at the front door to give a briefing that is 'out of this world'. For the next task, the teams have to push their imagination and design skills to the limit to create a new virtual reality game, before pitching it to a huge audience of gaming enthusiasts at the world-famous Comic Con exhibition.

As the teams move into week 10, the remaining candidates are summoned to the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. Here Lord Sugar sets them the task of creating and producing the spirit of the moment - gin. With the final in sight, the candidates are all desperate to impress. However, one team gets a little carried away with the taste testing, getting tipsy before the day has even begun, while on the other team, their pitches hit rock bottom when a key retailer reveals they don't like the colour, taste or branding of the gin. One candidate is left with a bitter taste in their mouth when the rest of the team turns against them, and tempers reach boiling point. Who will be fired?

Ten weeks ago, 18 candidates arrived in the boardroom in the hope of becoming Lord Sugar's next business partner. As series 12 draws to a close, this programme profiles the remaining candidates. Revealing the stories behind each budding tycoon, it gets up close and personal to discover what really drives their ambition and makes them tick. It features interviews from parents, partners and friends, along with Lord Sugar's trusted aides Karren Brady and Claude Littner. The Final Five delves into the candidates' backgrounds and looks back over their highs and lows during the process so far.

The battle to become Lord Sugar's business partner is nearing the end, as the remaining candidates have 24 hours to brush up on their business plans and face the formidable interview process. It's time to get a grilling from four of Lord Sugar's trusted advisors - Claude Littner, Claudine Collins, Mike Soutar and Linda Plant. After plans are scrutinised and characters questioned, Lord Sugar selects his two finalists.

With the final just days away and Lord Sugar on the cusp of choosing his new business partner, this programme looks back on the candidates who fell before the final hurdle and the tasks that tested them to the limit. From slacking sales at a soggy boat show to the 'out of this world' virtual reality game Gordon's Lost His Badger, the candidates have had both great highs and jaw-dropping lows. Facing lost jeans, double firings, cream cracker canapes and even a sing-a-long with mermaids, the challenges have involved humour, heartache and some outstanding performances. With the help of previously unseen insights from the eagle-eyed Karren Brady and Claude Littner, Lord Sugar leads through the best and worst decisions made by the candidates. He looks back on the boardroom bust-ups and explains how he came to decide who would hear the words 'You're fired!'.

The two finalists receive a call summoning them to London's City Hall. Lord Sugar informs them that their final task is to launch their business by creating a brand and unveiling their campaign in front of a packed audience full of industry experts. A few old faces return as the two finalists choose key colleagues to try to help them secure the ú250,000 investment, and it is straight to work as they set out to build a brand, make a TV advert and create a company fit for Lord Sugar. In the boardroom, business plans are evaluated and ad campaigns are assessed, but there can only one winner. It is heartbreak for one and ecstasy for the other, as Lord Sugar finally picks his next business partner.

Ambitious entrepreneurs start their fight for a life-changing investment. Their first task is transforming fish from the market into something for hungry Londoners.

The candidates are summoned to the Barbican Conservatory, where Lord Sugar tells them that they must create a new shampoo brand.

For the candidates it's an abrupt end to their day off as Lord Sugar sends instructions to pack a bag and head to the tunnels underneath Dover Castle.

Lord Sugar instructs the candidates to tap into one of the UK's biggest markets - pet products. When both teams try to sell the same products, it's a dog-eat-dog battle.

Lord Sugar sets the candidates a surprising task - write and design a children's book, and record an accompanying CD, before selling it to London's bookshops.

Lord Sugar asks the teams to set up and run handyman businesses. The teams set to work offering cleaning, gardening and DIY services to large and small clients alike.

Lord Sugar challenges the candidates to open a discount store and, in two days, turn products into profit.

It's week eight and the candidates are taken back in time to the Museum of Childhood. Lord Sugar instructs the teams to become party planners, with just two days to set up and host a children's party for some high-spending clients.With a £2,000 budget, the candidates must throw an event to remember, keeping an eye on profits but also pleasing the punters. Contending with tricky teens and hard-to-please parents, both teams have a challenge on their hands.For one project manager it's a dream gig. But with grand plans for the teens to have a blast, it's not long before a massive oversight threatens to derail their task completely. Elsewhere on the team there's a party pooper, as one candidate's attempts to keep a tight rein on the budget risk spoiling the day for the birthday girl.On the other team, efforts to make merry with the kids fall flat when an overzealous double act lead a lacklustre assault course. Things go from bad to worse with a mix up over the birthday cake and a blunder with the party gifts. Faced with disgruntled customers, the blame game starts and the party falls flat.As the figures are added up and the profits announced, in the boardroom it's a celebration for some. For the losers, an indignant Lord Sugar takes an unprecedented step, and for someone the party is most definitely over.

Lord Sugar throws the teams into the London property market to sell mid-range and high-end properties to the city's most discerning buyers.

The eight remaining contestants are tasked with creating a new health food snack that they have to pitch to three major retailers. The teams are given two days to come up with the snack and then compete for orders.

A profile of the remaining five candidates with a look into each of their backgrounds and analysis from Lord Sugar's aides.

The remaining candidates have just 24 hours to brush off their business plans and face the interview process with four of Alan's most trusted advisors - Claude Littner, Claudine Collins, Mike Soutar and Linda Plant.

Lord Sugar takes a look at the best and worst of this years tasks with insider analysis from advisors Karren Brady and Claude Littner.

The final task involves the last two candidates creating and unveiling their own brand in front of industry insiders in only a few days. The candidates are allowed to bring back past candidates to help them net the £250,000 investment. Lord Sugar finally announces the winner of the series and his next business partner. Jack Dee is then joined by the contestants from tonight's show and Lord Sugar to discuss the winner's journey and the rest of the series.

Ambitious entrepreneurs start their fight for a life-changing investment as Lord Sugar reveals the first task - ten years of selling in just one day.

The candidates are summoned to Imperial College London, where Lord Sugar tells them that their next task is to design a piece of wearable technology.

Lord Sugar tells the teams he wants them to tap into one of the hottest trends in retail by creating their own range of home fragrance products.

The candidates are set a 21st-century task by Lord Sugar - creating their own video channels to go live on the world's largest video sharing site, YouTube.

The teams have two days to create their very own coach tours, persuading punters to part with their cash and take day trips to top tourist attractions outside London.

Lord Sugar asks the candidates to design a brand new board game, then sell it to shops across London. With the pressure on, one candidate drops a clanger.

Lord Sugar asks the candidates to come up with an advertising campaign for a new soft drink - and pitch the results to experts in New York City.

Lord Sugar asks the candidates to crack the rural market by picking products to sell at the Royal Bath and West show.

Lord Sugar wants to test the candidates's negotiation skills. They have one day to buy nine items, all of which have featured in previous years' tasks, at the best possible prices.

The candidates are asked to tap into an emerging trend by creating a brand new range of premium puddings.

Profiles of the remaining candidates as the tenth series of The Apprentice draws to a close, revealing the true stories behind the super-sized egos.

The remaining candidates have 24 hours to brush up on their business plans, before being interviewed by four of Lord Sugar's trusted advisers.

With Lord Sugar on the cusp of choosing his new business partner, this programme offers a chance to look back on the candidates who fell before the final hurdle.

The two finalists must launch their businesses with the help of some former candidates. The winner is decided and then interviewed by Dara O Briain.

Sixteen ambitious entrepreneurs start their fight for a life-changing investment, as the battle to become Lord Sugar's next business partner begins with a selling task.

The candidates face an early morning trip to the pub, as they are tasked with inventing a new flavoured beer. But there is trouble brewing when the process goes into meltdown.

The candidates must come up with a unique piece of flat-pack furniture, before producing prototypes and pitching their products to retailers.

The fight for Lord Sugar's investment continues with some farmyard fun, as this task sees the candidates open their own farm shops.

The teams head off on a business trip to Dubai, where they must secure a number of items required by a new multi-million pound hotel.

Called to Guildhall in the City of London, the candidates are given their latest task: putting on a corporate away day for two major clients.

The candidates must sell products at the Motorhome and Caravan Show, but run into trouble when both teams choose the same items to fill their stands.

This week's task for the candidates is to come up with a new online dating concept, backed up by an original advertising campaign.

The candidates are called to the restaurant at the top of the Gherkin, where Lord Sugar gives them the task of creating and branding a ready meal.

The teams must grow a business from scratch in 48 hours. They must source stock for a market stall, then buy more of their best sellers.

As this series of The Apprentice draws to a close, this programme profiles the remaining five candidates, revealing the true stories behind the super confident egos.

The candidates have 24 hours to brush up on their business plans, before being interviewed by four of Lord Sugar's trusted advisors.

With Lord Sugar on the cusp of choosing his new business partner, this programme provides a chance to look back on the candidates who fell before the final hurdle.

The two finalists must each launch their planned businesses, with help from previous candidates. Dara O Briain then meets the winner and runner-up.

Sixteen candidates begin their fight to start up a business with Lord Sugar. In this task, the teams must buy blank goods and add value by printing designs onto them.

Lord Sugar calls the teams to the Victoria and Albert Museum. They must invent a household gadget and pitch for orders to some of the country's biggest retailers.

Lord Sugar mixes the boys and girls teams together for the next task, which is to come up with a new condiment - a Mediterranean-style ketchup versus a chilli chutney.

Lord Sugar asks the teams to set up second-hand shops in London's fashionable East End, sourcing their stock from auctions, junk shops and car boot sales.

Lord Sugar turns the candidates' attentions towards the keep fit industry. They have two days to devise and brand a new fitness class that reflects recent popular trends.

It is week six, and Lord Sugar sends the candidates to Scotland, where they must make gourmet food and sell it on the streets of Edinburgh.

The teams are given 150 pounds to spend on wholesale goods, with Essex as their selling ground. Hopes are pinned on a collection of mops, MP3 players and fake tan.

The teams each have one day to convince up-and-coming urban artists that they are the right team to represent them in a one-off gallery sale.

Lord Sugar challenges the teams to devise a brand, identity and marketing campaign for English sparkling wine.

The candidates' negotiation skills are put to the test as they spend a day representing an online daily deals website.

The remaining candidates give their assessment of their personal triumphs and failures and the lessons they have learned during the quest to win an investment from Lord Sugar.

The candidates must consider affordable luxury retail markets and devise a new product range, complete with prototype retail space.

Lord Sugar sheds light on each of the firings from this year's Apprentice, explaining just what led him to utter the immortal words 'You're Fired' to the candidates.

Lord Sugar asks the candidates to pitch their business concepts to him, and they face a gruelling series of interviews.

Lord Sugar gives the teams 250 pounds to invest in fresh fruit and vegetables, expecting a high return.

Lord Sugar challenges the teams to think big and go global as they design, launch and promote a new mobile phone application.

The business hopefuls have nine hours to source ten products for the Savoy Hotel, testing their powers of negotiation.

Lord Sugar sets the candidates their next task: to set-up beauty treatment businesses in Birmingham.

Lord Sugar sets the candidates the task of creating, branding and pitching a new pet food. One team chooses dogs, the other cats.

Lord Sugar instructs the teams to build junk collection businesses. With tough scrap dealers and quick-witted builders, profit proves hard to find amongst the refuse.

The teams are called to Fleet Street, where Lord Sugar informs them that they will be creating and publishing a free magazine.

The teams are summoned to St Pancras International, where they are informed their next task is to introduce British products to the French market.

The candidates are enjoying their day off when Lord Sugar arrives and instructs them to make, brand and pitch a new type of upmarket biscuit.

Given a pallet containing 250 pounds' worth of wholesale goods, the teams must find out what sells best, before investing in that product.

As the series draws to a close and tension mounts, this programme profiles the remaining five candidates, revealing the true stories behind their super-confident egos.

Lord Sugar challenges the candidates to develop and open their own fast food outlet, before pitching it to industry experts.

As Lord Sugar prepares to announce his new business partner in The Apprentice, comedian and frustrated fan Dara O Briain shares his theories on how to become a winning candidate.

The four candidates face a gruelling interview process, before heading to the boardroom, where Lord Sugar picks his new business partner. Plus You're Hired, with Dara O Briain.

Lord Sugar meets a fresh batch of candidates in his search for an apprentice. They are set their first task: to manufacture and sell a range of sausages the next day.

Lord Sugar tasks the candidates with creating a brand new beach accessory, before pitching their product to three big retailers.

The candidates seize the opportunity to impress Lord Sugar as they take over an industrial bakery, knowing that one of them will be fired.

The candidates are called to the Science Museum, where each team must select two innovative new products to sell to trade.

The candidates enter the world of fashion, as Lord Sugar challenges the teams to open pop-up shops at one of Europe's largest shopping centres.

The candidates are set to work creating branding and advertising for a new multi-purpose household cleaner.

After a meeting at Pinewood Studios, the candidates must create personal movie experiences and sell them at a large London shopping centre.

The remaining candidates in the battle to be Lord Sugar's apprentice are tasked with representing two small British crisp companies hoping to break into the German market.

Lord Sugar aims to determine who can strike the best deals in a race against time to find and buy ten items in ten hours.

Ten weeks into his search for an apprentice, Lord Sugar challenges the teams to set up their own London tour company.

As the series draws to a close and tension mounts, this programme profiles the remaining five candidates, revealing the true stories behind their super-confident egos.

Lord Sugar's search for an apprentice reaches its penultimate week, and each of the five remaining candidates must face a gruelling interview process on their own.

Lord Sugar looks back on the unsuccessful candidates in the 2010 series, and reveals how he decided who would be fired in the boardroom each week.

The two finalists are faced with the final task of launching and presenting a new premium alcohol drink to an audience of over 100 industry experts.

Sir Alan Sugar sets gruelling tasks for business hopefuls. The fresh-faced candidates must make as much money as possible by starting up a cleaning company. Who will be fired?

Sir Alan challenges the teams to set up a catering service for busy professionals, but things quickly go wrong for the teams as they hurtle towards the boardroom.

Sir Alan challenges the candidates to create a new piece of portable gym equipment, which they must then pitch to a panel of industry experts. Who will be fired?

Sir Alan Sugar challenges the teams to set up their own cosmetics business. They have just a few days to make and sell two new bath and beauty products.

The teams must launch a brand identity for a new breakfast cereal: come up with a name for the cereal, design a look for the box and shoot a TV ad campaign.

The teams hit the streets of London in a race to value and sell ten items of bric-a-brac, including a medical skeleton, a box of books and a pair of vintage shoes.

With nine candidates remaining, Sir Alan sends them to the North of England, where they must select two new innovative products to sell to trade.

The candidates must use all of their creative and marketing skills to rebrand one of Britain's most enduring tourist attractions, the seaside resort of Margate.

With just seven candidates remaining, Sir Alan sends the teams to London's Earls Court to sell baby products at the country's biggest baby show.

Sir Alan sets the teams the task of selling products on live television, but first they must select, from thousands of products, the ones they think will sell best.

The five candidates must face a gruelling interview process. There is no hiding place as each of them is grilled by four of Sir Alan's trusted business colleagues.

As The Apprentice draws to a close, the remaining five candidates are profiled. Friends and family discuss the final five and reveal the true stories behind the egos.

A chance to remember the candidates who didn't quite make it. Sir Alan reveals how he decided who would hear his famous phrase - 'You're fired'.

The two finalists have just three days to create and brand a new box of chocolates with original flavours before launching them to an audience of industry experts.

With Sir Alan's search at an end, Adrian Chiles and a panel of guests meet the winner, the runner-up and the boss himself as they look back over the job interview from hell.

Sir Alan Sugar sets gruelling tasks for business hopefuls. Sixteen new candidates line up for the chance to win a six figure salary, and must sell two van loads of fresh fish.

Sir Alan Sugar puts 16 applicants through the job interview from hell. After an exhausting first task, the applicants are challenged to set up an overnight laundry business.

The candidates are woken up at the crack of dawn for their third task - running a pub and turning it into a themed restaurant for the day, serving paying customers.

Four weeks into his search for an apprentice, Sir Alan Sugar challenges the teams to set up their own photography business at a busy shopping centre on the outskirts of London.

The candidates head off to the country to represent two farms who produce ice cream. The teams have to invent and make exciting new flavours to sell to the lucrative London market.

The candidates must come up with a brand new occasion for a range of greetings cards. Will they find a gap in this saturated market? And will their ideas be commercial?

With the house still split after last week's dramatic boardroom decision, the candidates are sent on a business trip to Marrakesh's hectic marketplace.

The candidates are sent to a wedding expo to sell dresses to brides-to-be. Will they be able to adapt their hard-sell techniques for this most emotional of purchases?

The remaining seven candidates' advertising and branding skills are tested when the teams are instructed to design and market their own brands of tissues.

With just six candidates remaining, the pressure is on. Sir Alan gives the teams a choice of supercars and challenges them to rent them out to members of the public.

As this year's series of The Apprentice draws to a close and the tension mounts, the final five candidates are profiled - looking at what makes these men and women tick.

After eleven gruelling weeks, it is time for Sir Alan to choose his next apprentice. But first, the exhausted finalists must take on their most daunting task to date - in just a single week, they must create and market a new and original male fragrance which they will then launch to an audience of a hundred industry experts, including top names such as Givenchy, Roja Dove and Estee Lauder. The stakes are painfully high for the finalists, with the big prize of working with Sir Alan now tantalisingly within their sight. But with the return of fired ex-candidates to be their assistants, will these new team members be a help or a hindrance as the finalists battle it out?

A look back at the candidates who didn't make the cut. Reliving their worst decisions, Sir Alan Sugar reveals how he decided who would hear that famous phrase - 'You're fired'.

Having started 12 weeks ago, Sir Alan Sugar's search for his apprentice is over for another year and he is joined by the winner and runner-up to discuss why he made his decision.

Alan sets a series of tasks designed to push some of the brightest and best young businesspeople in the country to the limit.

The teams are set the task of designing a new dog accessory to pitch to pet stores across London.

Forty years ago, Sugar started his first business selling car aerials with just 100 pounds and a white van to his name. Now he wants the candidates to prove they can do the same. They have just one day to start a business from scratch and make as much money as they can.

Sir Alan sets the teams the task of manufacturing sweets to sell at one of the country's top tourist attractions – London Zoo. Their target market are the toughest consumers in the world: parents and children. It's Ghazal and Adam's first turn as team leaders, and they and their budding Willy Wonkas must decide if their sweets should appeal to health conscious parents or sugar crazed kids. Then the teams must do something special to stand out against the Zoo's star attractions – the monkeys, lions and tigers. With over 3000 potential customers the teams adopt unique selling approaches – from the charm offensive to the hard sell. But when one team tries to stretch the truth it lands them in trouble. In the boardroom, Sugar is not so sweet to the losing team – and one of them is about to get fired.

As Sir Alan's search for an apprentice approaches the half way point, he decides to throw the candidates completely out of their comfort zone. He calls them to Christie's in London's St. James, where works of art regularly sell for hundreds of thousands of pounds, where their task is to sell art photographs of their choosing in a trendy East London gallery. The teams are split on the best approach; should they go for the kill or do artists and their customers prefer a softly softly approach? If all goes well, the teams could sell thousands of pounds worth of photography. But one team has to lose – and after a grilling from Sir Alan in the boardroom, one person in that team will get fired.

The ten remaining candidates face their toughest sales challenge yet, as they have to sell British food to French people in France. With market stalls laid on by Sugar in a northern Gallic town, the teams spend a day sourcing produce in Kent before crossing the Channel to flog their British grub to the fussiest foodies in Europe. Paul has a brainwave about an old army cooking technique he thinks will give his team the advantage, while on the other team Lohit spends his time trying to calm the conflict brewing in his troops. With hardly a word of French between them and centuries of gastronomic prejudice to overturn, will the teams sink or swim across the channel? In the boardroom, Sir Alan is stunned by the results, and a shocking revelation is made by two of the candidates.

The candidates have one day to buy ten items from a list for the least money possible, and get back to the boardroom by 6pm. The task is about negotiation, but Alan has thrown a tricky item into the list to put their research skills to the test too. Simon gets his first outing as project manager, but his erratic behaviour upsets his team. On the other team, Adam has to manage his nemesis, Katie.

The candidates have to create a new brand of trainer. Alan has laid on one of the country's top advertising agencies for them to work with, but the creativity is all theirs. They have to come up with a name and logo for their brand, and then produce a poster and TV ad with which to launch it. In the boardroom, Alan has to decide which team has best fulfilled his brief and who to fire.

The candidates have to select groundbreaking and unusual products from around the world to introduce into the UK market. The teams have three products each to sell to London retailers and only a day in which to do it, and the team with the most money in orders will win.

The teams are set a very public challenge – they have to sell live on TV. But before they can sell, they first have to choose the products they think will bring in the cash. One team goes for safe mid-price items, while the other decides to take a risk on some higher priced products. On the sales floor, they have an hour per team to sell, sell, sell. As half the team presents, the other half is controlling them from the gallery. But will their choices roll off the shelves, or will they be left embarrassed as they reach the boardroom? Sir Alan will make the final decision, and at the end of the day, one more will be fired, and there will only be five remaining.

With only five remaining, the candidates that are left face a different kind of challenge. Instead of being split into teams and having a task to complete, they have to face a gruelling interview process as individuals. Each of them is to be grilled by three of Sir Alan's trusted business colleagues, and they are not in for an easy ride. At the end of the interviews, Sir Alan's three henchmen will report to him in the boardroom, and outline their findings. And then it's the candidates turn – but this week, three of them are going to be fired.

It's the final week, and the most important task of the interview process. Alan wants the finalists to come up with a hypothetical idea for what might go in place of a building on the South Bank he owns and is thinking of flattening, and then present that idea to an audience of 100 property, finance and architectural experts.

A profile of the most successful candidates from the 2007 series of The Apprentice, offering an insight into the real people behind the professional personas seen on the show.

A look back at the candidates who didn't make the cut. Talking about their worst moments, Sir Alan Sugar reveals how, each week, he decided who would hear that famous phrase - 'You're fired'.

The candidates have to sell fruit and veg in East London.

The candidates task is to design and sell a calendar in aid of Great Ormond Street.

The teams' negotiation skills are tested.

The candidates task in this episode involves marquees and meals for the Thames Festival.

The task facing the remaining ten candidates is to create a TV ad and billboard poster campaign, promoting a product that makes hiring Sir Alan's jets easier. To help them, Sir Alan brings in top agency Saatchi & Saatchi.

The nine remaining candidates have to sell lots of cars.

The eight remaining candidates face a tough challenge in Europe's busiest fashion store - Topshop, Oxford Circus. There is a surprise in store when Sir Alan calls in with Topshop owner Philip Green.

The candidates have to sell products to retailers.

The candidates enter the world of estate agency.

The five candidates have to come up with a new service on a cruise liner.

The four remaining candidates face gruelling interviews with Sir Alan's associates.

The two finalists stage shows at Tower Bridge.

Fourteen young entrepreneurs face a battery of challenges as they compete to win a job with multi-millionaire Sir Alan Sugar. The winner takes all and losers walk away empty-handed.

In his search for an apprentice, Sir Alan Sugar sets his candidates the challenge of designing a new product for the most difficult of consumers - kids aged five to nine.

Twelve candidates are left in the running to become the apprentice. There's a change in the sexual chemistry as Sugar orders a re-shuffle to enable girls and boys to work together for the first time.

It's week four and three contenders have already been sacked. At Harrods, the task for each team is to persuade people to shop at their stall.

The two teams are given the task of selling modern art.

This week the task is a creative one: each team has to come up with an advertising campaign for a new hi-fi product, and the item is one of Sugar's own, a prototype he wants to launch in America.

Eight contestants remain and Sir Alan Sugar has had to separate two of them following a bust-up. The task tests their negotiating skills as they have to convince celebrities to donate something personal for auction.

The candidates travel to find an agricultural product that can be transformed into a commodity and sold for profit at a City farmers' market. One team picks fruit from the hedgerows of Berkshire to make jam, while the other buys blue cheese and venison to make soup.

Sir Alan Sugar invites the remaining candidates to Tottenham Hotspur for one of the club's biggest fixtures. They must market a text messaging service delivering team news to fans' phones.

The five remaining candidates try to sell wares on a TV shopping channel.

With a place in the final at stake, the candidates must compete as individuals.

The two remaining candidates have their final project, a party each on a Thames riverboat.

Adrian Chiles talks to the winner of The Apprentice, his new boss, Sir Alan Sugar, and the losing candidates to discover the lessons they learned along the way.