Lord Sugar is committed to The Apprentice but says he will know when he has to walk from the BBC show and won’t wait to be fired
21:00, 26 Jan 2026Updated 21:19, 26 Jan 2026
Lord Sugar will once again be advised in the new series by Baroness Brady and former Apprentice winner Tim Campbell(Image: PA)
Lord Sugar has joked he got an “electronic zimmer frame” from the BBC after signing a new deal which will see him presenting hit series The Apprentice into his Eighties.
The 78-year-old has signed a contract which will see the business reality series on screen for another three years as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Asked if the show helps him feel young, Sugar said: “Part of the contract is the BBC has got to provide me with an electronic Zimmer frame! I mean, three years takes me to about 82 I suppose, the time I’m finished, but I’ll carry on as long as the BBC want me to and I will know personally when it’s time for me to kind of hang up my finger, if you know what I mean. As the footballers say, they hang up their boots, hang up my finger or something. I’m happy about it. I’m a very fit person.”
READ MORE: Lord Sugar gives brutal verdict on Tottenham Hotspur season so far – ‘Useless’READ MORE: Karren Brady addresses Ozempic rumours after dramatic weight loss transformation
The Apprentice line up for 2026 with Lord Sugar(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Naked (A Freemantle Label)/Ray Burmiston)
Lord Sugar uses his famous finger to tell contestants “you’re fired” at the end of each episode. And Spurs fan and former Tottenham owner, Lord Sugar was also asked by the Mirror if he would fire their current manager Thomas Frank after a run of disappointing results.
He said: “I have no comment really about that poor sod. I mean, I think the whole bloody team should be fired. They’re useless. Bloody useless. And, you know, they’re getting close to the relegation zone. And it’d be interesting to see what the new management[ownership] is going to do. Because, as you know, Daniel Levy has left. So it’s now in the hands of Joe Lewis, who’s a multi billionaire, and he needs to start throwing some money, some real money at it to get the top players. And if he throws more money at it, they’ll do well, I guess. Seems to be the only way that all these clubs do, is buy players for £100million each, or something.”
The 20th series of The Apprentice launches later this week with an increased batch of 20 new candidates looking to impress Lord Sugar and secure his £250,000 investment. It kicks off in dramatic fashion as the contestants – and even Lord Sugar – relocate for a challenge in Hong Kong. But Lord Sugar confirmed the opening episode does not run smoothly.
He said: “Having spent a fortune flying 20 people out to Hong Kong, not to mention 20 production people and myself, yeah it was disappointing.”
He said the candidates got a telling off from him “in technicolour” but it was edited out of the episode and a toned down version is shown. The BBC show will also see the candidates undertake a series of tough tasks including creating a children’s book, selling live on television, and hosting a corporate away day on the Red Sea in El Gouna, Egypt.
Advisor Baroness Brady says: “They’re full of energy. They weren’t very nervous. Some are a bit overconfident. There’s a real mix of personalities. Everyone always asks me, do you know who the winner is when they walk into the boardroom? And of course we don’t, because we don’t know what they’re capable of just yet. That comes out in the process.”
On the longevity of the BBC series, Brady added: “It’s such a great show, it’s such an honour and a privilege to be involved. I’ve always said I’ll be doing it as long as Alan’s doing it. Not more, not less. So it’s really great to be a part of it. It’s a great show,” she says.
“I think it’s incredible to think we’ve reached the 20th series. That’s a real milestone for any television show. And I think it speaks volumes about the strength of The Apprentice as a format and as a brand, two decades on, it’s still entertaining, it’s still competitive, and actually it’s still as relevant as ever.
“And I think the show’s evolved with the times. The business world has changed massively since series one, and the show has changed with it, we’ve got more entrepreneurial candidates, they’re more digitally savvy, they are more aware of social impact and innovation.
“So I’m incredibly proud of what the show has achieved. It’s not just about great TV, but it’s launched real businesses with real success stories. I think we’ve helped shine a light on ambition, hard work, and resilience, qualities that are more important now than ever before.”
* The Apprentice Series 20 kicks off on Thursday night on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer at 9pm.
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