The Apprentice star Claude Littner has said that he was almost part of the Dragons' Den panel some years ago, but the role went to the late Hilary Devey instead.
Claude, 73, has been on the Apprentice since it debuted back in 2005, initially appearing during the interviews. He later became an aide to Lord Alan Sugar, now 75, in 2015.
Things however may have been different had he joined a different BBC show just over a decade ago though. Claude has said that he was approached to be on Dragons' Den.
The business executive said that he was once asked to join the show and had been "very keen" over the opportunity. He said bosses later had a "change of heart" though.
He told the Radio Times in a recent interview: "Some years ago they invited me to join the panel. I was very keen but they phoned me up and said they'd had a change of heart."
Claude - who said he's a fan of Dragons' Den - continued: "They wanted a woman instead." He teased that he had offered to wear a wig saying it shouldn't prevent him joining.
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He said they chose the late Hilary - who passed away earlier this year, aged 65 - instead. She joined Dragons' Den in 2011 and stayed on the show until the following year.
Claude has remained on the Apprentice, during the interview stages, since. He became an aide on the BBC show in 2015 and continued his previous role too.
He however took a break from being an aide in this year's series, after a bike accident. He was replaced by former winner Tim Campbell, 45, who joined Karren Brady, 53.
Tim - who had won the first series - will remain in the role for the latest series, which starts in a few days. Claude is set to appear in two episodes of the new series.
Dragons' Den returns next Thursday (January 5) on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 8pm. It will be followed by the new series of the Apprentice will launch at 9pm.
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