A new series of The Apprentice has been confirmed for 2023 — and the BBC has promised it will be 'bigger and better than ever'.
The hit reality show has been on our screens since 2005 and it has now been confirmed that a 17th series is on its way next year.
The programme sees a group of entrepreneurs battle it out through a series of business challenges, with one candidate 'fired' by kingpin Sir Alan Sugar each week.
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After a series of blundered pitches and boardroom back-stabbings, one contestant is hired, receiving a £250,000 investment in their company.
This time around though, the competition will be even stiffer, with the number of candidates upped from 16 to 18 for the first time since series 13.
Lord Sugar will be joined by his trusted advisors Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell MBE, while Claude Littner will return for two episodes.
Sugar, 75, has invested almost £3million into winning business pitches during his time on the show.
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The BBC said: "The show will return with 18 new candidates, all competing to win a life-changing £250,000 investment in their businesses.
"Thrown in at the deep end from day one, the candidates travel to Antigua where they are tasked with creating and selling excursions to tourists.
"Candidates who aren't cast away in the first task are back to face a host of equally tough challenges for the series ahead. From creating their own cartoon, to the world of male beauty, from immersive events, to street food, our aspiring titans of industry will once again have to prove that they have what it takes.
"With the stakes higher than ever and the loser's cab on standby, as always there's no easing gently back into boardroom life in this series as our candidates bid to become Lord Sugar's next business partner and winner of The Apprentice."
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The announcement comes off the back of a successful Series 16 which brought in a record return, peaking at 8.9m for the launch episode - the highest viewing figures for the show since the 2017 final.
The new series will air on BBC One and will be followed by The Apprentice: You're Fired on BBC Two, in which host Tom Allen will discuss the latest episodes with a panel of celebrities and business professionals.
You will also be able to catch both shows on iPlayer.
Topics: TV and Film, BBC, Business
Jake Massey