Karren Brady gives update on Claude Littner after The Apprentice viewers left wondering why he's been replaced

Fans of The Apprentice who worried about Claude Littner no longer being on their screens will be glad to know there's some positive news.

Sadly, The Apprentice mainstay will not be continuing in his role as Lord Sugar's aide for the rest of this current series of the show due to health issues.

It means viewers will have seen precious little of the businessman, who they have come to love for his no-nonsense attitude with each crop of candidates, as he was also out of The Apprentice last year.

That time was when he suffered a horrific injury to his leg after falling off a bike near his home and requiring several surgeries, which saved him from having to have it amputated.

Hopefully things are nowhere near as serious this time, but sadly, the businessman being a regular fixture on our screens over the next few weeks isn't going to happen.

BBC

During a press launch for the new series, Lord Sugar was reported as saying that Littner had suffered 'medical issues' which left him unable to fully return.

And, when discussing the status of her fellow aide, Brady told the Daily Express that Littner was doing well and viewers would get to see him again before the end of the series.

She said: "He's really in good health.

"I spoke to him last week, he is in good health and feeling great. He obviously comes back to the interviews."

As for whether he'll be back in his regular spot for next year's series of The Apprentice, Brady said that Littner could 'potentially' make a return and it would be 'entirely, I would imagine, up to him and how he's feeling'.

While Apprentice fans might be missing Littner, not least for his brutal put-downs of the candidates and his hilarious reactions, they will get to see him in full force in the notorious interviews section of the process.

That chunk of the show contains what is arguably his finest moment on the show, tearing apart Solomon Aktar's business plan so comprehensively that the candidate almost walked out of the window in a daze.

BBC

But, that's all we'll get to see of him apart from his contributions in the first episode of the latest series, where he followed the progress of the girls team as they tried to sell holiday experiences in Antigua.

It didn't go that well as they lost the opening task, and poor Littner ended up being stuck on a boat with the candidates as they tried to get a dance going with bemused holidaymakers.

Taking his place in keeping an eye on the candidates is Tim Campbell, the winner of the first ever series of The Apprentice.

Campbell has some previous experience in this role, having filled in for Littner in the previous series of the show, and he can also sympathise with all of the ridiculous things candidates get up to since he used to be one himself.

The Apprentice continues at 9pm on Thursdays on BBC One.