The Apprentice 2026 star apologises as BBC says it was unaware of "abhorrent" social media posts
Candidate Levi Hague says he's "ashamed and embarrassed".
A contestant on the upcoming season of The Apprentice has apologised for hateful comments he made on social media.
Levi Hague, a former RAF gunner and HGV driver, made discriminatory remarks about Islam and sexist comments about women, according to unearthed social media posts.
In a statement issued to The Sun on Sunday, Hague said he was "ashamed and embarrassed" by the posts he made in 2013.
He continued: "I offer my sincere apologies to all who I've offended, as well as my fellow candidates, for the truly awful language and views that they contain.
"I take full accountability for the publishing of those posts. They are not a reflection of the values I uphold today. I would like to apologise for my actions, as well as to the production team for failing to bring this account to their attention."
The BBC has said it was "completely unaware" Hague had made such comments, with a spokesperson saying Hague's posts were "totally unacceptable".
"We were completely unaware that this contestant had made such abhorrent comments," the statement read.
"We have asked the independent production company to fully review the social media checks undertaken given the process has clearly failed in this instance."
Fremantle label Naked, the production company behind the series, said it worked with "reputable third party providers" to carry out comprehensive background and social media checks on all candidates.
A spokesperson said: "On this occasion, these checks failed to flag the offensive posts, therefore we will be reviewing this process moving forward.
"Levi's historical posts contain language which is unacceptable and Levi has been spoken to about this behaviour. He has apologised and insists that these posts do not reflect the man he is now."
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RadioTimes.com has reached out to Fremantle for further comment.
The 20th season of The Apprentice will begin next week on Thursday 29th January, featuring 20 candidates all hoping to impress Lord Alan Sugar and secure his £250,000 investment in their business plan.
For the first time ever, the boardroom will move to Hong Kong as the candidates compete a task in one of the world's most vibrant trading hubs.
Ahead of the show's return, Lord Sugar said: "Just because we have been doing this for a while, doesn’t mean you know what is coming next. Let me tell you, you don't."
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The Apprentice returns on Thursday 29th January at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
