The Apprentice star issues thinly-veiled swipe at BBC rival competition show

After winning The Apprentice’s first-ever series in 2005, Tim Campbell made his monumental return to the BBC competition series in 2022 as Lord Alan Sugar’s advisor. The businessman initially replaced Claude Littner, who suffered a cycling accident, but has since become a permanent and firm favourite on the show alongside Karren Brady.

Throughout the series, the two advisors regularly observe the candidates during challenges before providing Lord Sugar with information on their performance and accountability for the boardroom results. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Express, Tim discussed his return to The Apprentice and brutally shut down prospects of starring on the rival business show, Dragon’s Den. He stated: “I love what other shows have been doing around advocating and supporting businesses in its different guises.

“I think for me, obviously I’m very biased, I think The Apprentice is the best vehicle for people. When I started, it was about a job, but now it's about getting an investment from a business angel in Lord Sugar.”

Tim continued: “But more than that, it’s about the support he gives you and the mentorship you should be given as a start-up business person.

“I’m not moving anywhere anytime soon because it's my destination,” he assured.

This came after the star partnered with the Gatsby Charitable Foundation's Talking Futures campaign, seeking to encourage parents and help them understand other education options such as T-levels, apprenticeships, and higher technical qualifications (HTQs).

Tim shared: “Relating to Talking Futures, it really resonates with me because I think you’ve got to get information from trusted sources.

“If you’re thinking about getting a great mentor to invest in your business and you want to prove your case, then The Apprentice is the place to go for you.

“If you’re thinking about educational pathways and what technical qualifications are best for you, talkingfutures.org.uk is the place for you.”

The businessman went on: “You can go and get the information, you can seek all the guidance you want from a myriad of different investors.

“And none of those are going to be sitting there with a wad of money on the side saying ‘Go on and tap dance and make me laugh.’”