The Apprentice Episode Guide

Episode Guide

The Apprentice: Season 5 (2009)

• Season 5 Episode 12: EPISODE: 12

  After 11 gruelling weeks, finalists Yasmina Siadatan and Kate Walsh now have three days to each create a box of chocolates with original flavours and launch the product to an audience of more than 100 industry experts. Some of this year's fired candidates return to offer their services as Sir Alan and eagle-eyed advisers Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford look out for the kind of business acumen that will win one of the two remaining contestants their dream job as The Apprentice

• Season 5 Episode 11: EPISODE: 11

  In the penultimate week, Debra, James, Yasmina, Lorraine and Kate have their personal and professional lives put under the microscope in a gruelling interview process conducted by four of Alan Sugar's trusted business colleagues. After the advisers have presented their findings in the boardroom, the contestants all have the chance to argue their case for making it through to the final

• Season 5 Episode 10: EPISODE: 10

  The six surviving candidates are set the task of selling products live on TV, but must first trawl through thousands of items to select the ones they think will generate the most cash. In the studio they have just one hour to market their merchandise, but even the most experienced salespeople struggle to appear natural with the cameras rolling

• Season 5 Episode 9: EPISODE: 9

  Alan Sugar sends the teams to London's Olympia, where they are tasked with selling products at the country's largest baby show. Success depends on choosing the right stock, and they have one day to check out a range of innovative products beforehand. But they are not just competing against each other - with hundreds of other exhibitors, competition is fierce, so the candidates need to prove their selling skills to come out on top

• Season 5 Episode 8: EPISODE: 8

  Alan Sugar sends the candidates to Margate on the Kent coast, where they are challenged to produce an eye-catching series of posters and leaflets designed to attract tourists to the seaside resort. They then have to pitch their campaigns to tourism industry experts, residents and dignitaries, with one of the losing team members ending up in the firing line

• Season 5 Episode 7: EPISODE: 7

  The nine aspiring entrepreneurs have high expectations when they are told to pack for an overnight stay, but their hopes of a glamorous trip abroad are dispelled when they are sent to the north of England to test their sales skills. With two innovative products to promote, all the candidates are given their own individual order books and instructed to obtain as many buyers as possible. Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford are on hand to observe proceedings

• Season 5 Episode 6: EPISODE: 6

  The remaining candidates reach the halfway mark of the contest, with both teams given the task of valuing and selling bric-a-brac. They are given 10 identical items to sell in a day, ranging from a medical skeleton and an old-fashioned commode chair to an oriental rug and a pair of vintage shoes. The teams must sell everything at profit, but first have to filter the hidden gems from the red herrings

• Season 5 Episode 5: EPISODE: 5

  The candidates launch a brand identity for a new breakfast cereal, deciding on a name, producing a novel box design and shooting an accompanying TV advertisement. Their creative skills are tested to the limit as their campaigns must appeal both to children and health-conscious parents - and the two teams are eager to avoid a frosty reception in the boardroom

• Season 5 Episode 4: EPISODE: 4

  For their fourth task, the teams are challenged to make and sell two new bath and beauty products using natural ingredients, and create a distinctive brand indentity to make their items stand out from the crowd. However, tension mounts among the candidates as they struggle with complicated recipes, controversial creative decisions, and the difficulty of determining how much stock to manufacture

• Season 5 Episode 3: EPISODE: 3

  For their third task, Alan Sugar challenges the candidates to create a new piece of portable gym equipment, design a distinctive poster to promote their product's unique properties and pitch their idea to three industry experts. They have just two days to complete the brief, with Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford keeping watchful eyes on the proceedings and reporting back to the boardroom

• Season 5 Episode 2: EPISODE: 2

  The teams are tasked with starting up their own catering services for busy professionals in the City of London. They have to pitch for business and create appetising menus for a prestigious canape reception - and as well as sourcing all the ingredients, they also have to make, deliver and serve all the food themselves. But before long, the kitchen proves too hot for some of the hopefuls and temperatures begin to rise

• Season 5 Episode 1: EPISODE: 1

  Alan Sugar invites a fresh intake of aspiring tycoons to take part in the 12-week job interview to become his new apprentice. For their first task, the candidates are split into male and female teams and told to set up rival cleaning companies. The winners get to relax in the contestants' luxury penthouse suite, while the losers face the music in the boardroom, where one of them comes into Sir Alan's firing line

The Apprentice: Season 4 (2008)

• Season 4 Episode 12: EPISODE: 12

  The series reaches its climax as the finalists are given a week to create a new and original male fragrance before launching it in front of 100 industry experts. Fired ex-candidates return to be the assistants of the remaining contestants but it remains to be seen whether they will prove a help or a hindrance before Alan Sugar announces who his new Apprentice will be

• Season 4 Episode 11: EPISODE: 11

  The five remaining candidates face a one-on-one interview with Alan Sugar's trusted team of advisors, who will interrogate them on every aspect of their lives and personalities to test whether they are up to the challenge of working for the tough-talking businessman. With just a week until the final, they then plead their case to the boss - but one will be fired

• Season 4 Episode 10: EPISODE: 10

  Business-based reality show in which budding entrepreneurs battle to win a job with multimillionaire Alan Sugar and learn how to make it in the commercial world. The contestants must use their stamina, intelligence and ruthlessness during a series of competitive tasks to determine who becomes the apprentice

• Season 4 Episode 9: EPISODE: 9

  The teams are challenged to design their own brand of tissues and create a story-based TV commercial and a print advertisement to promote them to one of the world's largest agencies in just two days. Later, tension mounts in the boardroom as Alan Sugar decides who to evict from the competition. Weather forecaster Sian Lloyd makes a guest appearance

• Season 4 Episode 8: EPISODE: 8

  The teams are challenged to sell wedding dresses at the NEC in Birmingham. Alan Sugar gives them just one day to visit selected bridal businesses before they adapt their hard-sell techniques to the highly sensitive matter of marital wear, knowing that one member of the least successful team faces the sack

• Season 4 Episode 7: EPISODE: 7

  The candidates head to Marrakesh for a two-day business trip, where they are challenged to find the best deals possible when buying 10 items in the city's markets. The budding entrepreneurs race against time and tempers flare as the deadline approaches. Margaret Mountford and Nick Hewer report back to Alan Sugar in the boardroom, who will cross-examine the two teams before dismissing another contestant

• Season 4 Episode 6: EPISODE: 6

  As the competition reaches the halfway stage, the budding entrepreneurs are challenged to come up with a new occasion for a range of greetings cards, before pitching them to three of the country's leading retailers. Whichever team receives the most orders will win the task and a member of the losing side will be dismissed by Alan Sugar

• Season 4 Episode 5: EPISODE: 5

  The budding entrepreneurs are challenged to introduce new ice-cream flavours to be sold in bars, restaurants and cinemas in London. The task leads to conflict within the teams and revelations in the boardroom before Alan Sugar decides which candidate to dismiss

• Season 4 Episode 4: EPISODE: 4

  The remaining 11 candidates are challenged to set up a photography business in a busy shopping centre on the outskirts of London. The budding entrepreneurs have to take and sell pictures of the public, and the demands of processing them causes rifts in both sides. It is then left to a bitterly disappointed Alan Sugar to decide who to eliminate from the competition

• Season 4 Episode 3: EPISODE: 3

  Alan Sugar challenges the budding entrepreneurs to take over a pub that has never served food before and turn it into a restaurant with the theme of their choice for one day, while running the kitchen and serving food to paying customers. Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford report back to the boardroom before another candidate is dismissed

• Season 4 Episode 2: EPISODE: 2

  The budding entrepreneurs are challenged to set up an overnight laundry business. Tempers fray as both teams feel the pressure of spending the day trying to win over potential customers and working into the early hours to deal with the dirty washing. Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford observe events and report back to Alan Sugar, who selects a second candidate for dismissal

• Season 4 Episode 1: EPISODE: 1

  Business-based reality show in which 16 entrepreneurs battle to win a job with multimillionaire Alan Sugar and learn how to make it in the commercial world. The candidates are put into male and female teams and observed by aides Margaret Mountford and Nick Hewer respectively. Their first challenge is to sell two van-loads of fresh fish before their deadline of 7pm that evening

The Apprentice: Season 3

• Season 3 Episode 12: EPISODE: 12

  In the final stage of the 12-week interview process, the remaining hopefuls are challenged by their potential boss to plan the future of a £120million building he bought last year on London's South Bank. He is considering demolishing his purchase, leaving the candidates to come up with a hypothetical idea for what might go in its place and present this to an audience of 100 property, finance and architectural experts, in the hope they will clinch the coveted job with Alan Sugar. Last in series

• Season 3 Episode 11: EPISODE: 11

  In the penultimate week, the five remaining candidates are in for a shock when they discover they will not be competing in a team challenge - instead, they will each face a gruelling individual interview, grilled by three of Alan Sugar's most trusted business colleagues. At the end of the interrogations, the interviewers will report back to the boss before the hopefuls get the chance to have their say, unaware that three of them are about to be axed

• Season 3 Episode 10: EPISODE: 10

  The six surviving candidates are set the demanding task of selling products live on TV, but must first select the items they think will generate the most cash - with one team taking a risk on some highly priced goods. In the studio they have just one hour to market their merchandise and, with the pressure on to offload their stock, the potential for public humiliation is great

• Season 3 Episode 9: EPISODE: 9

  Alan Sugar challenges the remaining interviewees to select three of the most ground-breaking and unusual products from around the world, before giving them just one day to sell them on to London retailers. But pressure to raise the highest profit soon begins to show, causing two candidates to clash head-on over business styles

• Season 3 Episode 8: EPISODE: 8

  The candidates are called upon to use their creative skills in this week's task, as they are challenged to invent a new brand of trainer. Under the watchful eye of Alan Sugar, the teams work alongside a leading advertising agency to devise a name and logo for their product - but with the pressure on to design the most effective TV marketing campaign, the teams must pull out all the stops to impress their boss

• Season 3 Episode 7: EPISODE: 7

  The remaining contestants have their negotiation skills tested by Alan Sugar's favourite task - obtaining 10 items from a list devised by the tycoon for the least money possible. Car salesman Adam's chance to shine as group leader is threatened by Katie's rivalry with Kristina, while Simon's erratic behaviour as project manager causes unrest and both teams struggle to obtain a particularly tricky object

• Season 3 Episode 6: EPISODE: 6

  Alan Sugar orders the 10 remaining candidates to France so he can test their marketing skills to the limit. They are sent across the Channel charged with selling British food, made from local Kent produce, to a nation renowned for its culinary snobbery. With the contestants speaking little French, and constant in-fighting putting team relations under strain, they face an uphill struggle to make a profit

• Season 3 Episode 5: EPISODE: 5

  The competition nears the half-way point and Alan Sugar sets the two teams their most demanding challenge so far - to sell a range of photographs at a fashionable London art gallery. The cracks show in Eclipse as they are divided over how to approach the task under Natalie's leadership, while Tre objects to project manager Kristina's selection of nude pictures

• Season 3 Episode 4: EPISODE: 4

  The teams are set the challenge of manufacturing sweets to sell at one of the country's most popular tourist attractions, London Zoo. Faced with some tough customers, they must decide whether to target health-conscious parents or sweet-toothed children to achieve sales success, but one team ends up in hot water when they try to stretch the truth in the boardroom

• Season 3 Episode 3: EPISODE: 3

  The surviving candidates are given the challenge of starting their own business from scratch, emulating the way in which Sir Alan Sugar started his own career 40 years earlier. The teams devise their entrepreneurial schemes and travel to Richmond in London to wheel and deal, but a positive start soon descends into backstabbing as the teams pit their wits against each other to avoid facing their boss's wrath

• Season 3 Episode 2: EPISODE: 2

  In their latest attempt to learn how to make it in the commercial world, the candidates are given the challenge of designing a new dog accessory, which they must then pitch to London retailers. However, as the pressure builds and personalities collide the inevitable arguments ensue, before the losing team face the wrath of Alan Sugar in the boardroom

• Season 3 Episode 1: EPISODE: 1

  Business-based reality show. A fresh crop of budding entrepreneurs battle it out to win a six-figure-salaried job with multimillionaire Alan Sugar and learn how to make it in the commercial world. The contestants must use their stamina, intelligence and ruthlessness during a series of challenges to avoid hearing the famous catchphrase 'You're fired!'

The Apprentice: Season 2 (2008)

• Season 2 Episode 12: EPISODE: 12

  The two finalists use their stamina, intelligence and ruthlessness to battle it out for the opportunity to work with multimillionaire Alan Sugar and learn how to amass a personal fortune. Last in series

• Season 2 Episode 11: EPISODE: 11

  The heat is on as the four survivors face a series of gruelling interviews with three of Alan Sugar's toughest colleagues, leaving them with no one to hide behind as they are forced to explain themselves. The question sessions provide a number of fascinating insights into the lives of the candidates - who wait to find out who will win the battle for survival as not one but two of them are fired

• Season 2 Episode 10: EPISODE: 10

  The five surviving candidates are called to Heathrow at 3.45am ready to embark on a trip to Istanbul, where Alan Sugar has arranged for them to engage in a battle on the high seas. The entrepreneurs have two days to dream up a service they can offer passengers on board the Grand Princess cruise ship. When the boat docks in Naples the results are in - which for one team means a luxury treat in Rome

• Season 2 Episode 9: EPISODE: 9

  Alan Sugar challenges the six remaining contestants to let flats when he sends them to estate agencies. The task seems straightforward to the candidates with a background in selling, but the teams soon learn there is more to the job than sales patter - and losing keys and missing appointments won't help them earn the all-important commission

• Season 2 Episode 8: EPISODE: 8

  Alan Sugar sets the remaining contestants their trickiest challenge yet : selling products to dealers. After the make-or-break decision of what items they are going to market, they are given just 24 hours to open trade accounts. As an extra hindrance to their campaign, they are forbidden to approach customers personally, and the worst performer faces the prospect of being fired

• Season 2 Episode 7: EPISODE: 7

  The surviving eight candidates experience the world of high-street retailing when they are challenged to work at Topshop in Oxford Circus. They must enter the minds of their teenage target group to stand any chance of success. As sparks fly in Europe's busiest fashion store, billionaire owner Philip Green breezes by with Alan Sugar, before the entrepreneurs' fate is sealed in the dreaded boardroom

• Season 2 Episode 6: EPISODE: 6

  The nine surviving candidates are challenged to sell used vehicles on the forecourt of a car supermarket. Tactics range from the brutal and uncompromising to outright lies as they try their sales patter on wary punters. Despite the audacity of the entrepreneurs, customers start to part with their cash, but inevitably one unlucky business dealer will face the wrath of Alan Sugar

• Season 2 Episode 5: EPISODE: 5

  The remaining 10 candidates face the task of creating a TV ad and billboard poster campaign to promote a product dreamed up by Alan Sugar to make hiring his private planes easier. The entrepreneurs' confidence is sky-high as they film on board his latest jet, but despite having top agency Saatchi and Saatchi on hand for advice, everyone's spirits plummet when the results are screened

• Season 2 Episode 4: EPISODE: 4

  The remaining 11 candidates prepare to get a roasting in the catering business. They take on the challenge of buying and organising meals to sell in marquees to half a million people at the Thames Festival. The plucky entrepreneurs also have to theme and decorate their tents, a task made all the more difficult when Alan Sugar reshuffles the teams - leading to more than a few frayed tempers

• Season 2 Episode 3: EPISODE: 3

  The remaining 12 candidates' flair for negotiation is put to the test when they are challenged to buy goods at the lowest possible prices. It's a race against time for the entrepreneurs, who scramble to find cut-price saffron, cheap lobsters and low-cost dinner jackets. The winning team get a day at the races, while one of the losers inevitably faces being fired

• Season 2 Episode 2: EPISODE: 2

  The boys forge ahead with one man down as the teams raise money for Alan Sugar's favourite charity, Great Ormond Street Hospital. They are challenged to design a calendar, pricing and selling it to buyers from three of Britain's leading retailers. However, with children and animals as the stars, it is not all plain sailing, and tears and tantrums soon follow

• Season 2 Episode 1: EPISODE: 1

  Second series of the business-based reality show in which 14 entrepreneurs battle to win a six-figure salary job with multimillionaire Alan Sugar and learn how to make it big in the commercial world. The contestants' first challenge involves selling fruit and vegetables on the streets of Hackney in London's East End. Their aim is to make the most profit and avoid being fired at the end of the day

The Apprentice: Season 1 (2005 - 2008)

• Season 1 Episode 12: EPISODE: 12

  The final two candidates go head to head as they organise parties on rival Thames riverboats. They have just three days to devise a theme, sort out the entertainment, sell tickets and be ready to manage proceedings. As ever, problems arise before the ships get under way, with staff difficulties and unpredictable weather overshadowing the event. Last in series

• Season 1 Episode 11: EPISODE: 11

  The four remaining candidates must draw on their inner reserves as tension sets in and energy levels hit an all-time low. They are pitted against each other on an individual basis for the first time, but Alan Sugar has a surprise up his sleeve as the weary entrepreneurs bid for a place in the final

• Season 1 Episode 10: EPISODE: 10

  The five remaining candidates are challenged to sell products on a TV shopping channel. They are given free rein to select the range they wish to promote, but lack the knowledge and experience needed to make that all-important decision. With little time to rehearse and an excruciating hour on air, there are plenty of tears and laughter before the inevitable firing of one unlucky entrepreneur

• Season 1 Episode 9: EPSIODE: 9

  The teams visit Tottenham Hotspur Football Club on the eve of a big game between Spurs and Manchester United. They have 48 hours to work out the best way of marketing a text-messaging news service to fans, which results in two very different approaches - one involving a 50-watt megaphone and 11 glamour girls, the other targeting home supporters directly. The game is decided on a penalty, but it is up to Alan Sugar to choose who will be fired

• Season 1 Episode 8: EPISODE: 8

  The seven remaining candidates get their hands dirty as they are challenged to find an agricultural product that can be transformed into a commodity and sold for profit at a city farmers' market. One team picks fruit from the hedgerows of Berkshire for jam-making, while the other buys blue cheese and venison to make soup, but only one outcome is certain - someone is going to get fired

• Season 1 Episode 7: EPISODE: 7

  A bust-up leaves the atmosphere tense as the eight remaining candidates put their negotiating skills to the test, aiming to persuade showbiz celebrities to donate a personal item for auction. The funds will go to the Hackney Empire theatre education project in the East End, which Alan Sugar helped revitalise, but the contestants will have to tread carefully to avoid being axed from the show

• Season 1 Episode 6: EPISODE: 6

  The candidates call on their creative skills to draw up an advertising campaign for a new hi-fi product, but their task proves all the more important when they discover the item in question is a prototype of Alan Sugar's which he hopes to launch in America. The no-nonsense boss likes things kept simple and straight to the point, without the trimmings of trendy art, leaving the teams with just 36 hours to make a TV commercial and Press drive that meets his stringent requirements

• Season 1 Episode 5: EPISODE: 5

  The candidates face the tough test of selling modern art, posing a dilemma for Paul, who does not consider the sight of naked women suitable for family viewing. The Impact team faces an uphill struggle as Matthew proudly declares his ignorance of the Brit Art scene, while the members of Firste Forte turn on the charm as they revel in the task, but choose an expensive artist who may not sell well on the night

• Season 1 Episode 4: EPISODE: 4

  The 11 remaining candidates put their shop-floor skills to the test at Harrods in Knightsbridge, aiming to keep a cool head and lure Saturday shoppers to buy from the displays. The pressure begins to take its toll as tourists flock to the store in search of all-important gifts, causing tempers to fray, tears to fall and the inevitable firing of one unlucky entrepreneur

• Season 1 Episode 3: EPISODE: 3

  Alan Sugar organises a corporate reshuffle, with the men and women working alongside each other for the first time as they take on the challenge of buying goods at the lowest prices in a test of their flair for negotiation. The 12 remaining candidates have their work cut out finding low-cost diamonds and cheap bowler hats, but the winning team are rewarded with a dinner in the company of their multi-millionaire boss - while one of the losers faces the chop

• Season 1 Episode 2: EPISODE: 2

  The candidates are set the task of designing a new toy for children aged five to nine, with their leadership skills and creative flair coming under scrutiny. The teams have only two days to come up with an original concept, using the practical help of a manufacturer, before ruthless boss Alan Sugar decides which entrepreneur will be the first to make an exit

• Season 1 Episode 1: EPISODE: 1

  Business-based reality show in which 14 entrepreneurs battle to win a job with multi-millionaire Alan Sugar and learn how to make it big in the commercial world. The contestants must use their stamina, intelligence and ruthlessness during a series of competitive tasks which will determine who eventually becomes the apprentice

The Apprentice:

• Apprentice Interviews
• Apprentices on TV

The Apprentice: Special (2008)

• Apprentice Celebrities
• Apprentice Interviews
• Comic Relief Special

  Business-based reality show in which budding entrepreneurs battle to win a job with multimillionaire Alan Sugar and learn how to make it in the commercial world. The contestants must use their stamina, intelligence and ruthlessness during a series of competitive tasks to determine who becomes the apprentice

• You're Hired!

  Adrian Chiles talks to the winner of the reality show and their new boss Alan Sugar, as well as the candidates who fell by the wayside to discover what lessons they learnt along the way