Lord Alan Sugar has said the celebrity edition of The Apprentice is every bit as combative as its civilian counterpart, ahead of the programme’s festive return.
The Celebrity Apprentice is back for a two-part special to mark the show’s 20th anniversary, airing in partnership with Children in Need.
The episodes will be shown on Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 December at 9pm.
This year’s line-up features Miranda star Sarah Hadland, barrister and broadcaster Rob Rinder, and EastEnders actor Jake Wood.
As well as recent I’m A Celebrity star Eddie Kadi, JLS singer JB Gill and presenters Angela Scanlon and AJ Odudu among others.
Six years on from the last celebrity spin-off, the contestants will travel to snowy Lapland in Finland, where they must develop a seasonal biscuit before pitching it to major UK retailers.
For the first time in the show’s history, the winning product will actually be stocked in shops nationwide, with a share of profits going to charity.
Speaking at the launch, Lord Sugar said the celebrities displayed the same competitive edge as regular contestants.
“I think the thing is that obviously there's no financial prize for the celebrities, but what is there is their eagerness to compete and want to win, and that's basically exactly the same,” he said. “There is a hunger.
“Thing is, is that there's no financial gains, obviously, for celebrities, right?” he continued. “Or partnerships, for me in business, but what you do have is the same hunger to win, the same desire to win.”
He added that while the civilian series offers a £250,000 investment and a business partnership, the celebrity edition is driven by “pride” and the desire to perform well.
Lord Sugar reflected: “So I suppose it's their own personal pride to make sure that they come out looking good, and they do, and they do a great job.
“And with the civilian version, there is that competitiveness for the ultimate goal of becoming my business partner and getting a 250,000 investment, but that's the comparisons, really.”
Lord Sugar stressed the stars are far from complacent: “The celebrities are, believe it or not, then they're not slack at getting on with trying to win and do the best they can.”
The Celebrity Apprentice airs on December 29 and 30 at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer
