Angela Scanlon shares how new The Apprentice spin-off series will differ from You’re Fired

The Apprentice is certainly shaking things up for its 20th season – not only are 20 candidates entering the process to celebrate the anniversary, but it will also be paired with a brand-new companion series, Unfinished Business.

Earlier this year it was confirmed that Unfinished Business would air in place of You're Fired, with Tom Allen also announcing he was stepping down from hosting duties.

The new spin-off show is hosted by broadcaster, podcaster and author Angela Scanlon who will be providing viewers with their fix of the latest boardroom drama, joining the host alongside an array of industry experts and celebrity fans.

The series will also feature the first interviews with fired candidates each week. Together with the fired candidate, Scanlon and her panel will dissect all the drama from that week's task, providing fans with in-depth analysis and behind-the-scenes intel.

"There's an informality to it that I really love," Scanlon told RadioTimes.com in an exclusive chat. "People are so interested in what goes on behind the scenes [and it's] kind of loosely referencing [The Traitors] Uncloaked as a kind of model, but I love the opportunity to sit down with super fans and with business experts and with the candidates who have just been fired, and actually get the real gossip."

Promising proper gossip, Scanlon added that she'll "shake down the fired candidate for the real story".

She continued: "I have hosted a chat show before [Angela Scanlon's Ask Me Anything] and unfortunately, I'm quite unfiltered, and so I will ask the question that you want to ask at home and that you maybe think you shouldn't ask."

Aside from the obvious changes to the You're Fired format, Scanlon adds that the companion series' "informality" is what sets it apart, telling RadioTimes.com: "It's almost like you've pulled away the fired candidates and [it's] as if we've just watched the show in the living room and then we've nipped out for a cup of tea to dissect it. So I think it's very free-flowing."

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And Scanlon has ensured the candidates will get the necessary grilling after their episode airs, explaining that her time on the celebrity edition of the show has helped her understand the candidates' experiences more.

"I think both in the boardroom setting and also in terms of the time, pressure and legal boundaries that the candidates all face, there are kind of limitations, I suppose, within each of the tasks that we don't always see," she said. "And so I definitely think I'm sympathetic, and I can kind of put an arm around their shoulder.

"[But] also prod them gently when they've made ridiculous decisions. But I think some of them will feel like they went out in a blaze of glory and others will be understandably disappointed. So I think it's just knowing what somebody needs in that moment and celebrating their time on the show."

The Apprentice: Unfinished Business airs on Thursday 29th January at 10:05pm on BBC and iPlayer, with audio available on BBC Sounds.

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