Seeking out a kosher chicken in a halal butchers. Confusing scuba gear with an octopus. Pants Man. Over its 14 years on the BBC, The Apprentice has gifted viewers the greatest gaffes in reality TV.

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But the greatest one of all is just around the corner.

We’re putting it out there: there’s one blunder in Celebrity Apprentice for Comic Relief that’s the worst/best mistake ever made on the show (depending on your viewpoint).

Yes, it’s an even bigger cock-up than Yasmine’s infamous sandalwood mix-up of 2009.

We won’t spoil exactly what the blunder is from tonight’s episode, but we will refer you to Karren Brady’s recent comments in Radio Times: “I think the standout moment of the programme is Omid’s [Djalili] contribution to the cabaret. I won’t say more than that, but it is truly gob-smacking and it’s the kind of thing you really won’t know what it is you’ve just seen.”

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But tonight’s big mess-up isn’t the only reason for watching. The Boys and Girls teams – consisting of stars from Britain’s Got Talent‘s Amanda Holden to This Morning’s Richard Arnold – both pull out some truly memorable Apprentice moments.

The planning of the cabaret events not only sees the appearance of two mystery contestants, but also reveals the surprisingly sturdy negotiation skills of Rylan Clark-Neal ­– and the rather disappointing performance from Dragon’s Den star Kelly Hoppen.

Omid Djalili

That’s before even getting to the ticket-selling stage, filled with some cringe-inducing lines from Rachel Johnson alongside a hilariously honest sales pitch from comedian Russell Kane.

All this is followed by a shopping trip with a hopelessly flustered Tameka Empson and a very special contribution to the cabaret from Holden and X Factor judge Ayda Williams.

Lord Sugar is also on his best form: while examining the achievements of each celeb in the opening boardroom, he reaches Ayda Field and simply labels her as “Robbie’s carer...er, wife”.

Sadly, there are no celebrity bust-ups akin to the Celebrity Apprentice specials of 10 years ago – including Trinny Woodall pushing over Piers Morgan for locking her chef in a toilet. But the episode is all the better for it.

It allows more time for more laughs, of which they are plenty, since everyone – with the exception of perhaps Rylan, Holden and Field – is utterly and completely out of their depth.

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It all makes for not only a classic episode of The Apprentice, but TV that could even leave the likes of Claude Littner beaming.


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