12 episodes · 5th January 2023
Lord Sugar’s search for a new business partner is back, and this year’s 18 candidates kick things off on the magnificent Caribbean island of Antigua. Under the watchful eye of Baroness Karren Brady and Claude Littner, the teams must sell and run bespoke tours. After bickering on the beach and some woeful negotiations, back in the boardroom, one candidate is sent packing.
For week two, the candidates are summoned to Hutong at The Shard in Central London. Lord Sugar reveals that they will be manufacturing savoury bao buns to punt to the public and a bespoke sweet bun to sell to a corporate client, with the team who secures the biggest overall profit winning. One team bites off more than they can chew with a Jurassic-themed bun, leading to explosions in the kitchen, while the other team are left in short supply after a maths meltdown. In the boardroom, one member of the losing team is sent packing.
Week three and the candidates are summoned to London’s Regent Street Cinema for an exclusive screening. Lord Sugar reveals they must create a new preschool cartoon aimed at two-to-four-year-olds to pitch to industry experts. One team showcases incomplete characters, whilst the other presents a sketchy storyline.
The candidates are sent to buzzing Brighton and Hove, one of the fastest growing cities in the UK. Here, amongst the bustling streets, the candidates must secure and negotiate nine items synonymous with the area. The team that secures the most items at the lowest prices, wins. Then, back in the boardroom, it’s rock bottom for another candidate.
The candidates are tasked with branding an electric motorbike and creating an advertising campaign before pitching to a panel of experts. Passionate about motorbikes, one project manager has his vision ignored, while the other team's advertising campaign backfires when they focus on story rather than subject. In the boardroom, sparks fly as one candidate is fired.
It's week six, and the candidates jet off to the cosmopolitan city of Dubai. Here they must put on a corporate away day for two international clients based in the city. While one team shows off the glitz and glam of the city, the other goes for a more traditional approach in the desert. But it's the team with the most profit at the end that will win. Back on home soil, it’s the end of the road for another candidate.
It's week seven, and the candidates must design a new lunchbox aimed at six-to-eight-year-olds, along with an app to encourage healthy eating. For one team, a clear vision helps them take a bite out of the market. On the other, poor decisions and a lack of vision leads to dreary designs. In the boardroom, there’s no such thing as a free lunch as one candidate is fired.
It's week eight, and the candidates' task is to host immersive events in Shropshire. They must sell tickets, book entertainment and organise food and drink. The team that produces the biggest overall profit wins. One team deals with confused convicts, whilst the other team narrowly avoids a dining disaster. In the boardroom, it’s lights out for one candidate as they’re told ‘You’re fired’.
For week nine, the candidates must design a new men’s skincare product, then pitch it to industry buyers. For one team, wrangling over a recipe leads to a disastrous skin-staining goo, meanwhile a lack of creativity on the other team results in an unoriginal concept. In the boardroom, Lord Sugar decides to wash his hands of not just one candidate, but two, in a shock double firing!
For week ten, the candidates are tasked with creating and branding a new dog food before pitching to major retailers. In the kitchen, one team wrangles with their recipe, making a dog’s dinner of their signature dish, whilst on the other team a premium product fails to deliver. On the branding teams, candidates bicker to be top dog. With plenty to chew over, Lord Sugar sends one candidate for walkies.
In the penultimate episode, some familiar faces return as the final five entrepreneurs and their business ideas are interrogated by Lord Sugar’s trusted advisors. A deep dive into their business plans reveals fictitious figures, crazy concepts and absurd ambitions. For one candidate, it’s the end of the road as Lord Sugar tells them 'You’re fired'.
The two finalists go head-to-head one last time to become Lord Sugar’s new business partner and win his £250,000 investment. With the help of some familiar faces, they must launch their business, create a new brand for their company, produce a digital billboard, direct and edit a TV advert and design a metaverse, then pitch it all to Lord Sugar and industry experts at a black-tie event.
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