Lord Sugar has insisted that The Apprentice does have a sex ban – but he can’t stop the candidates from romping.
The billionaire businessman, 77, told the 18 contestants are warned against becoming romantically involved as they live together for 12 weeks in a £17.5million mansion.
But he has become helpless at getting the cast of entrepreneurs to adhere to his strict rules including during this year’s series after Amber-Rose Badrudin, 24, and Keir Shave, 27, were caught in the act amid filming.
It was revealed the business hopefuls had an passionate tryst in Turkey, where the BBC show shot one of its famous tasks, and were later ‘read the riot act’ by producers.
And after 19 years of The Apprentice, they aren’t the first couple to let loose away from the boardroom with 2022 winner Harpreet Kaur even going onto marry fellow contestant Akshay Thakrar.
Lord Sugar said: ‘It’s human nature. It’s attraction of the opposite sex, what can I do?
Lord Sugar has insisted that The Apprentice does have a sex ban but he can’t stop the candidates from romping
He has become helpless at getting the cast to adhere to his strict rules including during this year’s series after Amber-Rose Badrudin (pictured) and Keir Shave were caught in the act
After 19 years of The Apprentice, they aren’t the first couple to let loose away from the boardroom
‘We do keep our eyes on them, and they’re told not to do it but what can I do?
‘The producers tell them not to do it which is effectively me saying it because they are reading out my rules.’
Lord Sugar, who’s been at the show’s helm for nearly two decades, says while he can’t stop the candidates from bonking, he will not be hesitant in firing them.
Teasing tense boardroom scenes from the new series, he said: ‘There are some multiple firings.
‘A lot of people say I do multiple firings because there are only 12 tasks, and we have to end up with a certain amount of people at the end, so people say I do it just to get the numbers down.
‘But let me tell you honestly, that’s not true. When more than one person goes it’s for a very, very good reason.’
Dragons’ Den has been on TV for as long as The Apprentice and while Lord Sugar spends six months of the year living in Florida, he still keeps up with watching the rival BBC business show.
When asked about the current lineup of Dragons, which include moguls Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Sara Davies, and Touker Suleyman, Lord Sugar admits podcast host Steven Bartlett, who joined the show in 2021, is a ‘mystery’ to him.
Amber and business rival Keir were reportedly found ‘half-naked’ in bed together during filming for the show in Turkey
The pair are both vying for Lord Sugar’s mentorship and £250,000 investment but found themselves in a passionate tryst while shooting the upcoming series
Dragons’ Den has been on TV for as long as The Apprentice and while Lord Sugar spends six months of the year living in Florida, he still keeps up with watching the rival business show
While he showered Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden with praise, he had little to say about ‘mystery’ Dragon Steven Bartlett
He said: ‘I watched it all the time. In America there’s a show called Sharks Tank and the difference between the American one and the English one is that the amount of investment people require is 50 times larger.
‘In the recent episode of Dragons’ Den, they had someone come in who asked for £10,000 for their company, in America people come in and ask for £600,000 for five per cent of their business.
‘But I do like Dragons’ Den, it has been successful and there have been some successes that have come out of it. Peter and Deborah, they are old legends. They are very good and have done very well.’
On Steven, who presents The Diary Of A CEO, he said: ‘He’s a bit of a mystery to me. I don’t know his details. I don’t know who he is really. He’s a very good talker.
‘He comes across very suave and debonair… But I’m not sure what his business is, and I think I’ll stop there…’
The 19th season of The Apprentice is about to begin as the candidates embark on challenges in the hope of securing Lord Sugar’s mentorship and £250,000 investment.
But the business tycoon is already looking ahead to the 20th instalment, which has always been a milestone he hoped to achieve.
Not the retiring type, Lord Sugar jokes he would be sooner dead than give up his integral role.
The 19th season of The Apprentice is about to begin as the candidates embark on challenges in the hope of securing Lord Sugar’s mentorship and £250,000 investment
When asked whether he would ever go into business with his US counterpart, President Trump, Lord Sugar revealed the pair are already closely connected
He said: ‘It’s not been commissioned yet but there’s a good chance it’s going to happen. The 20th season will be special. It’s going to be special for me.
‘I enjoy doing this and I enjoy finding young people and putting them in businesses and I’m starting from scratch again with them and that’s what I enjoy doing.
‘Who knows, I could go on and on until maybe the funeral director might have to stop it. I’m not one of those people who’s going to smell the roses and start gardening and all that stuff and play bowls…’
When asked whether he would ever go into business with his US counterpart, President Trump, who hosted the American Apprentice between 2004-2015, Lord Sugar revealed the pair are already closely connected.
Lord Sugar explained that Trump, who regained the role of US president last week, owns a small stake in the show’s format, originally created by Emmy Award-winning TV producer Mark Burnett.
‘He will tell you that I am in business with him because the Apprentice format, which was originally owned by someone called Mark Burnett, he sold it to MGN and apparently, according to President Trump, he has a small share hold in the format,’ Lord Sugar said.
‘He always reminds people that Lord Sugar works for me, he says because he has a minute percentage in there.
‘Would I go into business with him? I don’t think that opportunity will ever arise because he’s too busy at the moment being president, he’s just taken over and started to implement some of his promises and plans.’
- The Apprentice Series 19 premieres 9pm on Thursday 30th January on BBC One and BBC iPlayer