The Apprentice: What's it really like to be a candidate?

The boardroom has been tidied up, the sharp suits and snazzy ties put back in wardrobes, Baroness Brady and Tim Campbell are on a break from raising their eyebrows... and some of the candidates from The Apprentice 2025 have been giving the lowdown on their time in "the process". Here are five things they told us about filming the long-running BBC reality show.

• Watch: Recording of the live video stream from BBC Essex

Unlike other TV shows, where you might make friends with your fellow contestants during casting, those taking part in The Apprentice don't set eyes on each other until they're waiting to enter the boardroom for the first time.

"When we're all in the reception area is the first time we see everyone," said Emma Rothwell, an online gift store owner based in Harlow, Essex.

"I was actually the last one in, and I remember thinking 'everyone looks so miserable'. Then I chatted to some people and realised they'd been there a while, and got the faces."

Chisola Chitambala, the owner of a virtual assistant company, from Hullbridge, Essex, said she thought it gave producers chance to "build a bit of tension", as well as getting the shots they needed.

"I feel sorry for the person who was there first as they probably did wait a couple of hours," she added.

Candidates are often seen holding out their mobiles with the subteam on speakerphone, passing on the good or bad news about the task, but their personal phones are nowhere to be seen.

"They take them away that first day before we even get to the boardroom," said Ms Chitambala, a semi-finalist who did not have access to her phone for eight weeks.

"The aspect of not having your phone allowed you to switch off and connect with people. We were forced to spend time with each other, which was quite nice," she said.

Liam Snellin, an electrician from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, said he tried to encourage his fellow candidates to find pastimes other than scrolling.

"I was trying to rally all the candidates to play some card games and keep us entertained! You really do get great relationships from the whole process," he told BBC Essex.

Ms Chitambala said candidates did get a weekly video call with one of three people in their "circle of trust", which she said was "tough" when missing your family.

Much like The Traitors, where roundtable filming can take hours but is edited down to about 15 minutes, recording The Apprentice's key boardroom showdowns can take a lot longer than you might think.

"We don't know actually what time it is, and it depends on how much arguing you've got to give," recalled Ms Rothwell, who was fired in the first week.

"Filming the boardroom is a whole day," Ms Chitambala said. "You start at nine, 10 o'clock, and you don't finish those final shots back at the house till six in the evening.

Mr Snellin said Lord Sugar would chat to the candidates during breaks in filming, and would have conversations with all of them in a group.

"When you are with [Lord Sugar], it's nice to listen to his advice - especially after the tasks, where he'd tell you what he'd have tried to differently," he added.

This year's winner, Dean Franklin, hails from Hornchurch in east London, close to the border with Essex.

He believes the county's entrepreneurial reputation is why so many of the candidates on The Apprentice were drawn from the area.

"Anyone from Essex knows how to work; they're grafters through and through," Mr Franklin said.

Mr Snell said there was "definitely something in the water" when it came to successful Essex candidates coming forward.

"I reckon if you look on paper we outwork and outperform other areas of the UK," he said.

"Maybe we should make a TV programme about that!"

Speaking during BBC Essex's special behind-the-scenes look at the show involving all the candidates from the county, this year's contestants were given some words of wisdom from some of those involved in the show in past years.

"Just say yes to every opportunity," advises Sam Saadet, an online fitness coach from Buckhurst Hill, who took part in the 2024 series.

"When you come off that show, as long as you've represented yourself and your business well, people will remember you," she said.

"That's what I did in the six weeks I was on there - I made enough impact with myself and my business so that the last 12 months have been a whirlwind."

Daniel Lassman, from Chigwell, who appeared on series 10 in 2014, had a slightly different take.

"You're going to have a great year; you'll get stopped in the street. Use the exposure you've got, but then realise people forget about you very quickly," he said.

"Use the profile wisely; create something that's got legs. Don't be that candidate that relies on your profile with no substance."

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