The Celebrity Apprentice: First look and start date confirmed

Rumours have been rife for months that BBC bosses were going to bring back the celebrity edition of The Apprentice, and now the news is finally official!

The news was announced on Wednesday 15th October, with bosses confirming Lord Alan Sugar will watch on as 12 famous faces take part in a biscuit making task, with the line-up now unveiled.

When is it on TV?

The series will air across two episodes in December.

Episode one: 9pm on Monday 29th December

Episode two: 9pm on Tuesday 30th December

What will happen?

Dubbed as a 'Christmas treat' ahead of the 20th series in 2026, The Celebrity Apprentice will see a bunch of celebs head to Lapland to take part in a task, in turn helping to raise money for Children in Need.

The BBC say of the special: '12 celebrity candidates will head to reindeer-filled Lapland, where they will face the biggest business challenge yet – to create a magical festive biscuit.

'The celebrities will then have to pitch their Christmas gingerbread biscuits to the biggest UK retailers, who will then, for the first time in the show’s history, sell the biscuits in stores across the UK - with a percentage of profits going to BBC Children in Need. The celebrities' biscuits will hit the supermarket shelves in time for Christmas.

'Packed with festive cheer and celebrity sparkle, the show promises unforgettable moments as the celebrity candidates go on a heartwarming mission, with viewers able to get involved for the first time, through purchasing real life products to help raise money for a great cause.'

Which celebs are taking part?

12 celebs were unveiled on Wednesday 5th November, including Big Brother host AJ Odudu, former Apprentice star Thomas Skinner, and JLS singer JB Gill.

See the full line-up below:

AJ Odudu - TV presenter

Angela Scanlon - Broadcaster & Podcaster

Charlie Hedges - Radio DJ

Eddie Kadi - Comedian

Jake Wood - Actor

JB Gill - Singer & TV presenter

Kadeena Cox - Paralympic athlete

Matt Morsia - Gladiators star

Rob Rinder - Barrister & TV presenter

Sarah Hadland - Actress

Shazia Mirza - Comedian

Tom Skinner - Businessman & TV personality

Is there a trailer?

Yes! The trailer was released on Saturday 8th November, alongside the caption: 'Two teams of celebs make festive biscuits to sell to the public… which creation will get a ’ho ho no’ from Lord Sugar? 🎅'.

Watch the trailer below:

On Tuesday 9th December, the BBC then shared some first look photos from the two-part special, showing the teams in action, and in the scary boardroom!

Check out the first look images below:

Is Lord Sugar on the show?

He is! As ever, Lord Alan Sugar will be keeping a watchful eye on the candidates, whilst his advisors Baroness Brady and Mike Soutar head over to Lapland. Mike is filling in for usual advisor Tim Campbell, who was unable to attend the filming dates for the celebrity special.

Paul Broadbent, Director of Programmes at Naked, adds: “We are delighted to announce The Celebrity Apprentice: Christmas Specials. Not only will the two special episodes be immensely entertaining, but the biscuits made and sold in the lead up to the show airing will be raising vital funds for BBC Children in Need – it’s a win win. The Apprentice has always been the ultimate test of business acumen and resilience. Now, with well-known faces stepping up to the challenge, we can’t wait to see how they fare under pressure.”

How many episodes?

The celebrity special will be made up of two episodes.

What channel is it on?

It will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC says: “Viewers can look forward to the celebrity candidates facing the ultimate festive challenge of creating their own biscuits in aid of BBC Children in Need with plenty of seasonal surprises along the way too before they face Lord Sugar in the boardroom who will decide who has been naughty and who has been nice!”

The Celebrity Apprentice will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this month.

Now read:

Applications for The Apprentice have been extended

Lord Sugar reveals the future of The Apprentice

Your ultimate recap for The Apprentice series 19

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