When does BBC's The Apprentice start?

The Apprentice fans will be delighted to see that the long-running BBC show is returning to screens very soon. Lord Alan Sugar is back at the helm alongside his trusted advisors Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell MBE as 18 hungry hopefuls compete to become his apprentice.

Amongst the new candidates is a Dragon's Den reject, music star, two pie company owners and a mortgage broker. The budding businessmen and businesswomen will take on tasks overseen by Lord Sugar in a bid to land the opportunity of a lifetime - a £250,000 investment and mentorship with Lord Sugar - or face being fired in the dreaded boardroom.

In November 2023, it was confirmed that the series would be pushed back to February 2024 instead of the usual January slot due to the second series of The Traitors launching in January. The first teaser for the 18th series of The Apprentice was revealed on January 17, 2024.

READ MORE: The Apprentice line-up in full - from Dragons Den candidate to music star

The 17th series of the reality series was the first to feature two candidates leaving the competition off their own accord. Shannon Martin resigned in episode two, while Reece Donnelly left at during episode six. This was the second consecutive series with only women present at the interviews stage, and the fourth consecutive series with two women in the final.

The series finished on March 23, 2023, with Marnie Swindells crowned the winner and Rochelle Anthony as the runner-up. Luckily fans don't have long to wait now, as the new series of The Apprentice is set to commence on Thursday, February 1 at 9pm on BBC One.

Series 18 kicks off in style with the participants heading straight to the Scottish Highlands tasked with a corporate hospitality challenge.