BBC confirms cast for Celebrity Apprentice Christmas special after 6-year break

After six years in the TV unemployment line, Celebrity Apprentice is set to return this Christmas with a two-part Children in Need special.

The new series will see Lord Sugar, 79, send 12 would-be apprentices off to Lapland, where they’ll be tasked with creating a delicious festive biscuit. 

However, the celebs won’t just be bickering over biccie recipes – they’ll also have to work out how to market their product, pitch to retailers, and, most importantly, sell their Christmas treats. 

Will the celebs go crackers under pressure, or will these smart cookies make a load of dough for charity? We’ll have to tune in to find out.

Still, the big question right now is which stars are joining the bad-tempered tycoon in the boardroom? 

The celebrities taking part are AJ Odudu, Angela Scanlon, Charlie Hedges, Eddie Kadi, Jake Wood, JB Gill, Kadeena Cox, Matt Morsia, Rob Rinder, Sarah Hadland, Shazia Mirza and Tom Skinner, and they’ve been split into two teams.

Team one

AJ Odudu

TV presenter AJ Odudu will be swapping the (relative) comfort of the Big Brother house for Lord Sugar’s boardroom this Christmas.

AJ, of course, got her big break presenting Big Brother’s Bit on the Side alongside Rylan Clark and Emma Willis, but her career has gone from strength to strength since.

As well as Big Brother, she’s appeared on The Vice, The Wheel, Married at First Sight UK, and was a finalist on series 19 of Strictly Come Dancing.

Charlie Hedges

BBC Radio 1 DJ Charlie Hedges may know her way around a pitch-perfect dance track, but can she present a perfect pitch?

We’ll have to tune in to find out, but considering she’s DJ’d at some exclusive events over the years, including Sundance, we think she’ll thrive under the pressure.

Eddie Kadi

As the first British black comedian to sell out the O2 Arena in London, we’re expecting great things from Eddie, plus we know he’s fast on his feet after his appearance on Strictly.

Jake Woods

Actor Jake Woods is best known for playing lothario and second-hand car salesman Max Branning on EastEnders.

Here’s hoping some of Max’s sales acumen has rubbed off on Jake, or the only thing he’ll be on the (east)end of is Lord Sugar’s firing finger.

Kadeena Cox 

As an elite athlete and gold medal-winning Paralympian, we know that Kadeena Cox is going to keep her eyes on the prize during the show.

Aside from her winning four gold medals during her athletic career, Cox also won Celebrity Masterchef in 2021 and appeared on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

Rob Rinder

As a legal expert and TV judge, Rob Rinder is used to dominating his courtroom.

Unfortunately for Rob in the boardroom, it’s Lord Sugar’s word that is law, not the stuff he learned in his textbooks.

Team Two

Angela Scanlon

As a long-serving reporter on the One Show, you’d expect Angela Scanlon to have a way with words that could serve her well during a pitch or heated boardroom exchange.

Arguably, though, it’s her time on Robot Wars that makes me think she could be a winner; after all, she’ll be used to cold, unfeeling machines like Lord Sugar.

JB Gill

JB Gill, also known as Jonathan Benjamin Gill, is best known as a member of the boy band JLS.

The group were runners-up on the 2008 series of X-Factor, and I’d expect JB’s time in the band to have given him the people skills needed to navigate the tricky world of business.

Matt Morsia

While Matt is a professional bodybuilder and athlete, he’s best known these days as Legend on the ITVshow Gladiators. Does he have the strength to go the distance? We hope so.

Sarah Hadland

An award-nominated actor, Sarah is probably best known for playing Stevie on the BBC comedy Miranda. However, she’s also appeared in numerous feature films, including the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace and appeared on the last season of Strictly.

Shazia Mirza

A comedian and TV star, we’re expecting Shazia’s quick wit and sharp tongue to serve her well. Who knows, she might even give Lord Sugar a run for his money in the bad pun department.

Thomas Skinner

Thomas Skinner was famously booted out of the boardroom back in 2019, but he’s clearly a glutton for punishment as he’s back for another go.

Since leaving the process, Thomas has made a name for himself on social media, and he recently made a controversial appearance on Strictly Come Dancing before being voted out in the first week.

Team one’s biscuit is a flavoured gingerbread biscuit with butter toffee, vanilla, and Christmas pudding flavoured festive icing.

It boasts the tagline ‘Be Naughty, Get Nice’ and will feature a portrait of Santa’s naughty brother – Jolly McTrouble.

Team 2, meanwhile, made a gingerbread, lemon, bubble-gum and white pepper flavour snack… yeah, I know, but it’s for charity.

If you want to try the candidate’s biscuits, they’ll be available to purchase from select retailers from November 14.

Speaking about the product being on sale to the general public, Lord Sugar said it added a new dynamic to the show. 

‘It’s the first ever time on The Celebrity Apprentice that the public can buy products that were created by the celebrity candidates,’ he explained. 

‘It’s added some real pressure to the process. I think the celebs thought they were in for an easy ride, but they were wrong! Raising money for BBC Children in Need is serious business, so the candidates really need to deliver if they want to avoid ending up on my naughty list.’

The Celebrity Apprentice: Christmas Specials will air on BBC One and iPlayer later this year.

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