The show will not be returning later this year (Picture: BBC/Boundless)
Lord Alan Sugar has confirmed that The Apprentice won’t be returning until 2022.
The businessman said that the show is due to begin filming later this year, with the 16th series set to air at the ‘early part of next year’.
The most recent series of the business show took place in 2019 and was won by Carina Lepore.
‘I think you’ll see it in the early part of next year, in fact that’s the plan,’ he said, speaking at Cambridge Union.
‘If things go well, and there’s no outbreaks or third waves, we’re planning to start recording later this year and it should be just after Christmas that they’ll start it again.’
Lord Sugar discussed previous investments on the show and said that while other businesses had thrived during lockdown, previous winner Carina’s bakery has ‘suffered’ as a result of the pandemic.
Lord Sugar spoke about the future of the hit BBC series (Picture: PA)
‘Some of them have benefited tremendously because the online business has gone up.
‘The bakery has suffered, as you can imagine. [Winners] have been told, if you fail, if you use up all the money, that’s it, it’s over.’
Discussing the future of the show, Lord Sugar added: ‘I said last year that I wanted to do 20 years. We would have been doing series 16 this year and I was happy to do four more.
‘But of course, it is the BBC who will decide if they wish to do it. I fully understand they are in charge but if they wanted to do it, I think 20 years is a nice round figure.’
Karren Brady and Claude Littner are set to return alongside Lord Sugar in the upcoming episodes.
The businessman, who has fronted the show for 15 years, previously shared a link to for hopefuls to apply for the series, where candidates battle to win a coveted business partnership with the star.
He wrote on Twitter back in February: ‘Applications will be closing soon for this year’s #TheApprentice.’
The entrepreneur received criticism from Jackie Weaver at the time, who spoke out against the show and accused it of ‘bullying and shaming young people’.
The Apprentice is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Credit: Original article published here.The post Lord Alan Sugar confirms The Apprentice won’t return until 2022 appeared on My Celebrity Life.