The essential episodes of The Apprentice
Watch these 15 in order and you've got The Apprentice — each pick states its reason.
- 01
Fourteen young entrepreneurs face a battery of challenges as they compete to win a job with multi-millionaire Sir Alan Sugar. The winner takes all and losers walk away empty-handed.
- 02
The finalists must now launch their businesses by producing a digital screen and directing a TV advert, before pitching to Lord Sugar and a room full of industry experts.
- 03
A new group of 16 hopeful candidates embark on their first challenge of the competition. The contestants are sent 6,000 miles from London to the capital city of Cape Town in South Africa, where they are tasked to set up and run their own safari and vineyard tours. One team's brash approach to ticket sales causes commotion, while on the other team premium prices prove problematic.
- 04
The teams are challenged to create, manufacture and sell their own ranges of ice lollies.
- 05
In the third week of the competition, the candidates join Lord Sugar at London's Cambridge Theatre, where they find out the next task will challenge them to design a toy for six-to-eight-year-olds, along with an online video to promote their brand. The teams must create their toys and prepare their pitches, before presenting their concepts to some of the biggest names in the toy industry. Back in the boardroom, one candidate from the losing team will be sent home.
- 06
In the fourth week of the competition, the candidates are challenged to create their own range of electric bikes, before hosting their own launch event to sell their bikes to some of the UK's biggest cycle retailers. As the task unfolds, half of the team head to Nottingham to develop their new bike, while the other half of the team stay in London to choose accessories and create marketing material. At their events, poor pricing strategies and forceful tactics prove problematic, and back in the boardroom, one candidate is sent home.
- 07
Oxford and Cambridge Discount Buying
Lord Sugar sends the candidates to the historic university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, where they will attempt to procure nine items that are associated with both places.
- 08
Lord Sugar challenges the candidates to create and market a new rollercoaster.
- 09
Lord Sugar's business hopefuls jet off to Hong Kong on a mission to secure nine items at knock-down prices. In the boardroom, the boss is back and the firing finger is fully loaded.
- 10
Once upon a time, 18 candidates were tasked with creating a storybook. Unfinished illustrations and a stinky storyline mean the fairy tale is over, and another candidate is fired.
- 11
The candidates must tap into the bottled water market to create a TV advertisement and a social media campaign, but watered-down branding and wishy-washy ads mean a candidate is filtered out.
- 12
The candidates turn petals into profits, selling flowers to the public and corporate clients. But a bunch of problems lead to a pruning in the boardroom.
- 13
It's week 8, and the candidates are sent to the Isle of Wight to secure nine items for the best price. A last-minute dash to the finish sets up a close race in the boardroom.
- 14
It's week 11, and the final five candidates must pass a gruelling round of interviews with some of Britain's toughest interviewers. Only two can make it through to the grand final.
- 15
It's week 12, and the finalists must launch their businesses to a roomful of industry experts before Lord Sugar finally decides who will become his next business partner.
