Over 20 seasons, the Apprentice boardroom has not been short on drama \u2013 but one recurrent theme is the UK show\u2019s penchant for problematic contestants.<\/p>\n
This season, which airs its first episode on Thursday, is no different. Offensive tweets posted by contestant Levi Hodgetts-Hague from a decade ago have been unearthed since filming, prompting the BBC<\/a> to urge the show\u2019s production company to carry out stricter background checks on contestants.<\/p>\n Levi Hodgetts-Hague described Muslims as \u2018dirty\u2019 and women as \u2018slags\u2019 and \u2018dogs\u2019. Photograph: Ray Burminston\/PA<\/p>\n The posts described Muslims as \u201cdirty\u201d, women as \u201cslags\u201d and \u201cdogs\u201d, police officers as \u201cpigs\u201d, and expressed support for British far-right activist Tommy Robinson while urging British people to take a stand against Islam.<\/p>\n A BBC spokesperson said it was \u201ccompletely unaware\u201d that the contestant had made \u201csuch abhorrent comments\u201d. The independent production company has been asked to fully review the social media checks undertaken \u201cgiven the process has clearly failed in this instance\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe views presented are totally unacceptable and we are taking this extremely seriously,\u201d the BBC said.<\/p>\n Yet this is far from the first time that the Lord Sugar-fronted show \u2013 which pitches 20 candidates who pride themselves on their ruthlessness against each other to compete for \u00a3250,000 \u2013 has provoked controversy for its choice of contestants<\/a>.<\/p>\n In January, a separate former contestant from the season which aired in 2024, Dr Asif Munaf, was struck off the medical register after a tribunal found he posted 36 antisemitic, racist and sexist posts on social media.<\/p>\n It also emerged after filming that season 13\u2019s Tom Bunday had been jailed for violent assault, while in 2006, rightwing commentator Katie Hopkins caused outrage for her controversial comments.<\/p>\n Julian Henry, a celebrity PR, said the production company, Naked, carried \u201cultimate responsibility for any dodgy talent expressing inappropriate views, past or present\u201d, and not the BBC.<\/p>\n Noting that Naked is owned by a large media group, and has a very experienced chief executive, he said: \u201cThe BBC are right to complain about their vetting process; checking the background of any members of the public is time intensive and costly so there\u2019s an obvious temptation to cut corners by the casting teams.\u201d<\/p>\n