Celebrity Apprentice’s car crash moments as it returns to screens

The Celebrity Apprentice is just around the corner and will see the stars head to Lapland to make their very own festive biscuits for BBC Children In Need. 

The Apprentice has been on our screens since 2005 and the celebrity version – which sees our favourite famous faces get stuck into a number of challenges – first graced our screens two years later in 2007.

There has been a total of three celebrity specials, including two others – one in 2009 and another in 2019. Recently it was revealed that there will be a full-length series airing in 2026.

Fans are over the moon to hear that Lord Alan Sugar will be returning to the boardroom alongside his aides Baroness Karren Brady, 56, and Mike Soutar, 58, to judge the teams on their designs. 

AJ Odudu, 37, Angela Scanlon, 41, Rob Rinder, 47, JB Gill, 39, Jake Wood, 53, Thomas Skinner, 34, Sarah Hadland, 54, Kadeena Cox, 34, Matt Morsia, 39, Eddie Kadi, 42, Charlie Hedges, 39, and Shazia Mirza, 53, are taking part this year. 

The show will air in two instalments – December 29 and 30 on BBC One.

The first ever series of The Celebrity Apprentice, which was filmed to raise money for Red Nose Day, featured some seriously explosive moments. 

Danny Baker, 68, Alastair Campbell, 68, Rupert Everett, 66, Ross Kemp, 61, Piers Morgan, 60, Cheryl, 42, Jo Brand, 68, Karren Brady, 56, Maureen Lupman, 79, and Trinny Woodall, 61, all took part to try and raise some cash for those in need. 

They were given the task of running a funfair, and had to get attractions and people to buy tickets to attend. 

Suffice to say not everything went to plan, leading to a boardroom bloodbath after a prolonged blame game.

Piers brutally gets fired

The girls team, led by Karren, ended up winning the challenge, which meant that Danny, Alastair and Piers were brought back to the boardroom. 

Things got very tense as team leader Alastair and Piers battled it out in front of Lord Sugar. 

Lord Sugar told them: ‘Alastair, I don’t know what you were doing to be honest. 

‘At times you were out of control. I don’t think you directed your troops correctly. 

‘So it is very regretful, however, I think there is one person here who is more responsible, I think it’s for the general winding people up, the demeanor that has cost you this. 

‘Mr Piers Morgan. You are fired.’

Alastair gave him a cheeky look and said: ‘Again?!’

Piers nodded his head and disappointingly said: ‘Absolute travesty.’ 

The journalist told viewers in the taxi: ‘Without my contribution we would have raised a pitiful sum of money that would have made us national laughing stocks.’

He added: ‘Travesty barely does it justice.’ 

Rupert Everett walks out 

Actor Rupert – who has starred in the likes of Another Country, The Happy Prince and My Best Friend’s Wedding – quit on the first day because he thought it was scripted. 

He told his team: ‘I’m like frozen in front of the camera.’

But someone questioned him and asked: ‘But you’re an actor?’

Rupert told them: ‘Yeah, but you need dialogue to be an actor. What if I left and left everyone my phone number and I could do everything on the outside? 

‘My problem is that I have virtual relationships with people, mostly. Do you know what I mean? 

‘I don’t know any of these people particularly well. Just people who you could probably get to. 

‘I think it’s a genius idea, I can do anything you want on the outside.’

Rupert added: ‘I can’t stand the camera. I really can’t.’

Piers told him that he has to donate £100,000 if he wants to leave. 

Speaking to the camera, Rupert said: ‘None of this is my capacity. None of this is my area. 

‘I don’t know people, I can’t, I’m not just an organiser and I don’t like living in front of a camera and that’s it.’

The next day he didn’t turn up to do the task. 

Launchpad for success  

However, the drama of the show proved to be fortuitous for some. Two years after this episode aired, Karren became one of Lord Sugar’s permanent aides in 2009, as she replaced Margaret Mountford. 

The businesswoman led her team to victory after creating her own funfair with Cheryl, Jo, Maureen and Trinny. 

They ended up making a whopping £774,000, while the boys only made £286,000. 

Back in 2013, Karren said of the show: ‘I can’t believe this is my fourth year.

‘The time has flown by. It’s quite a big commitment but I love it. 

‘It’s always about the candidates and I hope people are loving the new lot.  

‘Nick (Hewer) is fantastic to work with and has become a great friend, and I really enjoy working with Alan. We’ve never had any fall-outs and we just laugh a lot, he even kicks me under the boardroom table to stop me giggling.

‘But he’s so funny – he doesn’t have a script but just listens and reacts. I don’t think there is anybody else who could front that show.’

Cheryl is best known for being part of Girls Aloud, a band that was put together on TV show Popstars: The Rivals, back in 2002. 

Girls Aloud ended up going their separate ways two years after this celebrity special, which meant that Cheryl broke away and ended up smashing the charts with her solo career. 

Her debut album 3 Words was a hit and included her single Fight for This Love. 

She also became a judge on The X Factor in 2008 for two years, and again between 2014 and 2015.