The Celebrity Apprentice Christmas specials are coming!

BBCNews

15 Oct

Written By

The Celebrity Apprentice is set to make a snow-covered comeback on BBC One and iPlayer this festive season, serving as a Christmas treat ahead of the landmark 20th series in 2026.

For the first time ever, Lord Sugar will join forces with Pudsey for BBC Children in Need, delivering two one-hour special episodes filmed in the snowy wonderland of Lapland, where the challenges are tougher and the stakes even higher.

Produced by Naked, a Fremantle label, twelve celebrity contestants will journey to reindeer-filled Lapland to take on their biggest business task yet — creating a magical festive biscuit. The stars will then pitch their Christmas gingerbread biscuits to leading UK retailers, who, for the first time in the show’s history, will sell the biscuits in stores nationwide, with a percentage of profits donated to BBC Children in Need. These celebrity-created treats will arrive on supermarket shelves just in time for Christmas.

Brimming with festive cheer and celebrity sparkle, the specials promise unforgettable moments as the contestants embark on a heartwarming mission. Viewers will also be able to take part for the first time by purchasing real-life products to help raise money for an important cause.

Under the watchful eyes of Baroness Brady and Mike Soutar—who steps in for Tim Campbell, unable to attend filming—the celebrities will battle to earn a place on Lord Sugar’s ‘nice list’. But for those who miss the mark, Lord Sugar’s infamous boardroom awaits. Can they deliver under pressure, or will the heat melt their Christmas spirit? The full celebrity line-up heading to Lapland will be revealed soon.

As part of the festive specials, the contestants visited the BBC Children in Need-funded project Chickenshed Theatre Trust, where they presented their adverts and offered children a taste of their biscuits—receiving some honest, no-nonsense feedback in return. Chickenshed is supported by BBC Children in Need to help disabled children and young people with additional needs engage in positive activities that build confidence, encourage learning, and open up new opportunities.

Paul Broadbent, Director of Programmes at Naked, adds:

“We are delighted to announce The Celebrity Apprentice: Christmas Specials. Not only will the two special episodes be immensely entertaining, but the biscuits made and sold in the lead up to the show airing will be raising vital funds for BBC Children in Need – it’s a win win. The Apprentice has always been the ultimate test of business acumen and resilience. Now, with well-known faces stepping up to the challenge, we can’t wait to see how they fare under pressure.”

Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC, says:

“Viewers can look forward to the celebrity candidates facing the ultimate festive challenge of creating their own biscuits in aid of BBC Children in Need with plenty of seasonal surprises along the way too before they face Lord Sugar in the boardroom who will decide who has been naughty and who has been nice!”

Tommy Nagra, Director of Content at BBC Children in Need, adds:

“This is the first time we have partnered with The Celebrity Apprentice. The spirit of Christmas embodies kindness, generosity and giving, so it’s especially exciting that - for the first time ever- the product created during the show will be available in stores, with proceeds going directly to BBC Children in Need. Right now, we’re only able to fund one in six organisations that ask us for support, so every pound raised will help us reach children across the UK who are most in need, during these most challenging of times for young people.”

The Celebrity Apprentice: Christmas Specials (2 x 60’) have been commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC. The series is a co-production between Naked (a Fremantle label) and MGM Alternative UK for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Paul Broadbent and Naomi Banat serve as Executive Producers, with Francesca Maudslay as Consultant Executive Producer and Rachael Hankinson as Production Executive. For MGM Alternative UK, Dom Bird is Executive Producer, and Sarah Clay is Commissioning Editor for the BBC. The series is produced and distributed under licence from Amazon MGM Studios Distribution.