The Apprentice 2024: Who Was Fired First?

The very first series of Lord Alan Sugar’s business reality show, The Apprentice, premiered way back in 2005, modelled on the US version. Since then, there have been a whopping 17 series, but the premise has always remained the same: a series of budding entrepreneurs battling it out for the £250,000 investment and mentorship from Sugar. Now season 18 is well underway, stay up to date with all The Apprentice‘s happenings in our guide to the hit BBC show.

When Is The Apprentice Season 18 Coming Out?

Season 18 of The Apprentice began on 1 February 2024 on BBC One at 9pm. The show usually hits our screens in January, but it was pushed back slightly to accommodate for one of the most talked about programmes of the moment: The Traitors. Episodes will drop weekly at 9pm on BBC One before landing on BBC iPlayer for streaming.

Release Schedule

• Episode 1: 1 February 2024
• Episode 2: 8 February 2024
• Episode 3: 15 February 2024
• Episode 4: 22 February 2024
• Episode 5: 29 February 2024
• Episode 6: 7 March 2024
• Episode 7: 14 March 2024
• Episode 8: 21 March 2024
• Episode 9: 28 March 2024
• Episode 10: 4 April 2024
• Episode 11: 11 April 2024
• Episode 12: 18 April 2024

BBC / Fremantle

Who Are The Candidates For Season 18?

The full list of candidates has just been revealed, with hopefuls including a yoga company owner, a pie company director, a mortgage broker and a music producer. Here are the names of this year’s candidates:

• Amina Khan
• Dr Asif Munaf
• Flo Edwards
• Foluso Falade
• Jack Davies
• Maura Rath
• Noor Bouziane
• Oliver Medforth aka Ollie
• Onyeka Nweze
• Paul Bowen
• Dr Paul Midha
• Phil Turner
• Rachel Woolford
• Raj Chohan
• Sam Saadet
• Steve Darken
• Tre Lowe
• Virdi Singh Mazaria

Who Has Been Fired?

The first contestant to be booted off series 18 of The Apprentice was Ollie Medforth.

Where Is The Apprentice Filmed?

Anyone who has watched The Apprentice will know many of the challenges require contestants to rush around London completing challenges. But where are classic scenes like the boardroom and loser’s cafe filmed? While it looks like Alan Sugar is firing people in a typical city office, these scenes are actually shot at a custom-built set at Black Island Studios in London.

Who Are The Apprentice Judges For 2024?

Lord Sugar will be returning to head up the judging panel, alongside his trusted advisors Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell MBE.

BBC / Fremantle

Who Won The Apprentice Season 17?

The Apprentice’s 2023 winner was Marnie Swindells, whose business plan focused around opening a boxing gym.

Who Is Alan Sugar?

He’s one of the UK’s most famous businessmen, and has fronted The Apprentice since its beginnings. But what’s Alan Sugar’s story? How did he make his millions? Born in Hackney to humble beginnings, Lord Sugar broke into the business world after setting up Amstrad in 1968, a company which sold consumer electronics. However, Amstrad really took off after launching a personal computer in 1984 – and by 1986, the company had a net worth of £1.2 billion.

Sugar eventually sold Amstrad, and went on to launch many other ventures, including a ten-year stint as chairman of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, a property group called Amsprop. In 2000, he was knighted for services to business, and according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2023, his net worth is £1.074 billion.