Dragons Den and The Apprentice return: Best TV tonight

Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice both return for new series, tonight from 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

First up at 8pm, Dragons’ Den roars back with a brand-new series, and the pressure is higher than ever. A dynamic line-up of guest Dragons is set to disrupt the Den, putting Britain’s most daring entrepreneurs through their toughest test yet.

This episode sees beauty entrepreneur Jenna Meek make a bold first appearance. The REFY Beauty CEO and co-founder joins Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Steven Bartlett and Touker Suleyman as they interrogate a new crop of hopefuls all chasing the deal of a lifetime.

In the Den, a London-based founder champions sustainability by transforming pre-loved hats into bespoke designer creations. A charismatic innovator invites the Dragons to see the potential in his business, which turns smartphone memories into treasured keepsakes. Two Leeds-based partners pitch a plant-based drink powered by an East African super-crop, while a former pharmacist steps forward with a women-only self-defence concept — but will the Dragons be ready to fight for it?

Then at 9pm, series 20 of The Apprentice launches in spectacular style. The series starts with a bang as Lord Sugar’s business hopefuls jet off to Hong Kong on a mission to secure nine items at knock-down prices. The teams must juggle unknown geography, tight deadlines and business basics. Lord Sugar has a few surprises in store, and in the end, there are fireworks, and firings, in the boardroom.

It’s followed by brand new spin-off show, The Apprentice: Unfinished Business at 10.05pm on BBC Two and iPlayer. As Lord Sugar launches his search for a new business partner, Angela Scanlon and her special guests take a deep dive into the candidates' performances and analyse the task, the boardrooms and the firings. Plus an exclusive chat with the first person to leave the process.