The Apprentice 2026: Release date speculation and latest news
The toughest competition in business is back!
It's time to head back into the boardroom as The Apprentice returns to BBC One very soon.
Celebrating its 20th season, the BBC is pulling out all the stops, including an episode in which the boardroom will take place in Hong Kong.
There will also be 20 candidates taking part to mark the 20th season as Lord Sugar embarks on the hunt for his next business partner.
So, when is The Apprentice returning? Read on for everything you need to know about the new series.
Is there a release date for The Apprentice season 20?
The exact release date for The Apprentice 2026 is yet to be announced but it has been confirmed that the series will return in early 2026.
Has the cast for The Apprentice season 20 been announced?
Not yet. While there have been teasers of the cast members in teaser trailers, an official cast announcement is yet to be made by the BBC.
Who are the advisors to Lord Sugar in The Apprentice season 20?
Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell MBE are back once more as trusted aides to Lord Sugar.
Brady has been one of Lord Sugar's aides since 2010, while Tim Campbell joined as aide in 2022 and has held the post ever since. He previously won the first ever season back in 2005.
Campbell missed out on the recent Celebrity Apprentice two-parter as he was unable to make the filming dates work – he was temporarily replaced by Mike Soutar, but will return for these new episodes.
Is there a trailer for The Apprentice season 20?
Yes, the BBC recently unveiled the trailer for season 20, teasing what's to come for the candidates.
The teaser clips shows the candidates on dune buggies, climbing up the steps towards the Big Buddha in Hong Kong, appearing to fight a robot through virtual reality and an appearance from Big Zuu.
You can watch the full trailer below:
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Can I apply for The Apprentice?
You sure can! Applications for the next season of The Apprentice are open, but you've got to act quick as applications will close on Friday 23rd January 2026.
You can visit the application site here.
Who won The Apprentice 2025?
After a long 12 weeks, Dean Franklin was crowned the winner of The Apprentice 2025.
In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com last year, Dean explained that he was initially "confident" he was going to win the show when he applied, but he was soon in for a rude awakening.
"So, going into it, I knew I could do it. I believed in myself. But then the first week came, and I was dropped into reality and it hit me like a ton of bricks," Dean explained.
It was being in the boardroom with his fellow candidates that made Dean realise he "had to do better".
He added: "After that moment of going to the boardroom [in the] first episode and coming back to the house, I think that was the moment where it switched for me, because I'd had such a big, massive eruption when I walked back through them doors.
"Everyone was so happy that I came back, I think then it was just like, 'Right, I've got to change that. I've got to do something different, because this ain't working. Let's go for it.' And I think that broke a lot of barriers of mine. And then I was off to a good start."
The Apprentice will air on BBC One and iPlayer later this month.
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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.
