The Apprentice final will air this week, with Lord Sugar’s newest business partner soon to be revealed.
With the 19th series wrapping up today, April 17, GB News has spoken to four former candidates who have unveiled what it’s really like behind-the-scenes of the BBC favourite.
Series 17 winner Marnie Swindells detailed an “unpleasant” aspect of being on the business show competition.
“For me, filming was a much more pleasant experience than watching it back, that I did not enjoy,” she admitted.
Speaking to The People’s Channel and other media at a Press Box and Flex and The City panel event, she delved into the brutal impact of viewers’ reactions.
“I was not OK, it was awful,” the boxing gym owner confessed as she recalled the difficult period.
Sharing her thoughts about the BBC’s duty of care, she went on: “It’s one thing they should do better on – the welfare.
“It really needs to improve. I was trending on Twitter, people saying what an idiot I am, someone noticed my hairclip matched my top and was like ‘urgh she’s matched it to her top,’ and I’m like ‘how can you hate me so much?'”
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The show winner added: “You go through the process and you love every moment of the filming, the creating, and you think all these great things are going to come out on the show.
“Then you watch the episode… And my jaw was on the floor.
“I don’t think the welfare prepared us enough for afterwards, it’s a really important thing to talk about.
“I would have it out with welfare like ‘no one prepped me for this’, I was not ready. Until you are that person in those shoes no one will get it.”
Series 18 star Raj Chohan added: “Yeah, I think the experience that I’ve got in the show you can’t see on TV.
“You’ll only see what they want to edit to fit their story. But I had so many great moments in the house as well, like with the rest of the candidates.”
Detailing the tough nature on the boardroom meetings, she added: “So even though quite brutal in the portrait at times, it wasn’t, it was just business.
“I think it’s like going for an interview. If you’re always in the same room for the same interview, you’ve got one job.
“It’s not personal. You want that job and you’ve not come in being each other’s mate, you’ve come in looking for a job.”
In a similar vein, fellow series 19 star Reece Donnelly also explained: “It’s important to add that there’s so many walls because it’s a BBC show, so we can’t be seen to be advertising anything.
“If this was ITV it would be a different show. As the British Broadcasting Corporation, we can’t look like we’re favouring a show.”