The BBC is at the centre of a bullying row after a contestant on The Apprentice claimed show bosses ignored his pleas for help as a rival “made his life hell”.
Pharmacist Navid Sole claims one fellow hopeful called him a “snake” and a “clown” after a failed task.
Another contestant also reported the same contestant for alleged aggressive behaviour on the flagship show.
Navid, 27, told pals he broke down in tears and was in pain at the alleged rant, which did not go out on air.
He claimed producers did not step in or check if he was OK.
And he asked to move rooms in the reality show house so he didn’t have to share with the contestant.
Navid – fired in Thursday’s episode – told a friend: “There were two or three times I wanted to hurt myself because I didn’t know what to do.
“I didn’t want to share these feelings with the producers because I was scared they would eliminate me from the process. The bullying affected my performance on the whole show.
“I went to the house and cried to myself because I felt like nobody else was helping. I was worried other contestants would think I was weak by crying.
“Bullying is a serious thing. It is a cut-throat industry but I didn’t sign up to the show expecting this.
“Some contestants bully others or try to affect them mentally by looking for the weakest contestant and exploiting that. The others saw what was happening but were scared to speak up.
“It’s not an open environment. I regret going on. I did not show 100% of my ability and it affected my wellbeing.”
The BBC said mental health and wellbeing of candidates is a priority for the show and that Navid did not make an official complaint or inform them of his intent to hurt himself.
The Apprentice is back on screen after a two-year absence due to Covid.
The first episode pulled in 4.6 million viewers – the best opening night since 2017.
The show sees hopefuls compete for a £250,000 business investment from Lord Sugar, 74 – who is advised by Baroness Karren Brady and former winner Tim Campbell.
Londoner Navid believes more needs to be done to make the show less toxic.
In Thursday’s episode, he was fired after his team lost a challenge to launch a non-alcoholic drink.
But it was the alleged showdown over a cruise ship task in episode one which left Navid in bits.
He told his friend: “We were in the losers’ café and I encountered bullying which felt encouraged by some of the other contestants.
“They were gang-handed. It was terrible the way I was spoken to. The person was calling me a clown, a snake.
“I felt they had a problem because I wasn’t more of a lad, but that’s not me – I’m a soft, sensitive person who wants to get along with everyone.
“It reminded me of the backlash I got at school and college when I was bullied. They were rude to everyone.
“Two others were sniggering. I was shocked and upset. I was crying really heavily, the intensity was crazy.
“The other contestants saw that I felt uncomfortable. When producers saw I was in pain they put the camera in front of me rather than saying, ‘He’s upset, we should intervene’. Nobody thought to give me a break even though it was clear I was really hurting.
"That moral support wasn’t there. The episode was edited to show me drinking coffee when actually I was in distress. I watched it alone and cried because it gave me flashbacks.”
Navid told pals that the contestant had, after watching the show, apologised for not listening to him.
Harry Mahmood, 35 – fired in episode one – said he also reported the contestant for “rude and aggressive” behaviour.
He told the Sunday Mirror: “My bone of contention was the way they spoke to me – with aggression, anger.
“They kept attacking me and singling me out. Nav started crying based on the way [the contestant] was talking to him. Myself and another contestant said don’t cry, but nobody stopped filming until someone said, ‘That’s enough now guys, moving on’.
“I was annoyed. In real life if someone talks to me like that I don’t let it be. I got bullied at school and want to stand up for those it happens to.
"When I got fired I mentioned to a member of the team that I was not happy with how this person spoke to me – it was rude and aggressive. They said they’d speak to them.”
Fans took to social media after the episode with concerns about bullying.
Navid said he “cried and begged” to move rooms.
He told a friend: “They could see I was distressed and moved me. I told them many times that my performance was being affected. They would basically give a pat and say don’t worry.”
Navid told friends he went through four selection stages, which included seeing a therapist to make sure he was “mentally fine”.
But Navid – now seeking private counselling – told his pal: “They did all of that, but it doesn’t really prepare you for that environment. I called her on the night I got fired, crying and distressed.
“You want to say it’s been an amazing experience, but it’s been constant anxiety. I’ve been stressed. All I’ve learned is bullying, and how it is when people attack you. I’ll only feel better when the series finishes.”
A spokesman for the show said: “Wellbeing of candidates is of paramount importance. Thorough and robust duty of care protocols include an experienced network of support before, during and after filming.
“All contributors agreed to a code of conduct to protect and prioritise welfare. These allegations are unsubstantiated and do not reflect the measures put in place.”
The main candidate Navid complained about said: “These comments have no foundation and I’m frustrated that someone who shared this journey with me would make these claims now, and in such a public way.
“Conversations can get heated, but at no point was my conduct not compliant with guidelines put in place. These allegations are unfair.”
A show source added: “The code of conduct outlines standards we expect everyone to adhere to including no bullying and zero tolerance of unacceptable behaviour.”
