Contestant Reece Donnelly from hit TV show The Apprentice thinks he could teach business tycoon Alan Sugar some new patter.
The entrepreneur, who is hoping to become Lord Sugar’s next business partner, has even offered to buy him a new joke book after being less than impressed with his one-liners. The show features contestants as they battle it out to impress the tycoon with their sales skills and business acumen for a £250,000 investment in their company.
Actor Reece, 26, founded the Theatre School of Scotland and Theatre College of Scotland in 2017, becoming the youngest college owner in the UK. Reece, from Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, who is the first Scottish candidate on the show for more than eight years, said that while Sugar’s experience is not to be sniffed at, his jokes could do with some work.
Reece, who has been acting since he was six and appeared in BBC drama Waterloo Road, said: “I can’t give too much away but obviously as time goes on, there is maybe more of a conversation between Lord Sugar and me.
"Lord Sugar is a bit of a geezer for us and what you see is what you get. He has come through the ranks and built a multibillion-pound life.
“He knows what he is talking about. He wouldn’t be sitting in that chair if he didn’t. We don’t always see him that much but what I do know of him and what I do see of him during the season is he has worked very hard to get to where he is.
“Some of his one-liners, though, I’d give him a run for his money with some of his patter. He could be doing with a wee refresher or a joke book from me. Other than that, what he has done in business is fantastic.”
Sugar, 75, grew up in Hackney, east London, where he started working at a local greengrocer. After leaving school at 16, he started selling car aerials and electrical goods from a van, which he bought for £50.
In 2021, his fortune was estimated at £1.21billion. In 2000 he was knighted by the Queen for services to business. The 17th season of The Apprentice, which kicked off earlier this month, saw Sugar back in the boardroom alongside trusted aides Baroness Karren Brady and Claude Littner along with Tim Campbell.
The show airs every Thursday at 9pm on BBC One.
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