Boardroom Drama Unfolds In The Apprentice 2026

The twentieth series of The Apprentice has already delivered the kind of boardroom drama and high-stakes competition that has made the BBC reality show a mainstay of British television since its debut in 2005. With Lord Alan Sugar presiding, the 2026 edition has wasted no time in raising the bar—and the tension—as hopeful entrepreneurs vie for a coveted £250,000 investment. In just its first two weeks, the series has seen double firings, a globe-trotting challenge in Hong Kong, and, most recently, an unprecedented boardroom twist that left even the show’s veteran advisors raising their eyebrows.

The season kicked off with a bang in early February, as reported by The Star and NationalWorld. Twenty candidates—more than ever before—were whisked away to Hong Kong for a classic Apprentice scavenger hunt. The objective was simple in theory: source a list of specific items across the bustling city. In practice, however, both teams stumbled. The girls’ team arrived at the finish line two hours late, having collected only two out of nine items, while the boys fared marginally better, managing just one more item (and that, unfortunately, was incorrect). Lord Sugar, never one to mince words, was left unimpressed, his head figuratively in his hands as he surveyed the dismal results.

The fallout was swift and severe. For the first time in the show’s history, the opening episode ended with a double firing. Project manager Nikki Jetha was the first to go, her leadership in the Hong Kong task deemed insufficient. Nikki had hoped to win Lord Sugar’s backing for her digital-first mortgage brokerage, telling The Star, “I want to take the fear out of mortgages with a digital-first mortgage brokerage offering radically transparent, expert-led advice to underserved buyers and home movers in the UK.” Sub-team leader Georgina Newton followed her out the door, her dreams of launching a touring theatrical production company specializing in pantomime dashed. “My business plan is a touring theatrical production company specialising in the magic of pantomime, I want to take classic fairy tale stories on the road and make theatre accessible to everyone,” Georgina explained to The Star.

The double firing set the tone for a season in which no one’s place is safe. As the dust settled from the Hong Kong debacle, Lord Sugar admonished both teams for their lackluster performances. Nikki, reflecting on her exit, told NationalWorld, “There were some people who weren’t team players, and they didn’t contribute. You know, they spent more time complaining and moaning, as opposed to giving ideas and working out how we can push forward.” Georgina, meanwhile, expressed her disappointment: “I probably contributed more than anybody on my team, and I think for the show, the person that contributes the least should go home. I thought I had a few more weeks at least left in me.”

With two candidates already gone, the competition moved swiftly to its second episode, which aired on February 5, 2026, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. This time, the task was a creative one: design a children’s storybook and an accompanying audio version for four- to six-year-olds, then pitch the product to retailers. The winning team would be decided by sales figures—a straightforward metric, but one that would ultimately expose deep divisions and questionable decision-making among the contestants.

The women’s team, riding high after their week-one scare, delivered a resounding victory. Their storybook concept sold 2,855 units, easily outpacing the boys’ team, which managed only 419 units. The result was clear, but the drama was just beginning. As reported by the BBC and Independent, Marcus Donkoh, project manager for the losing boys’ team, was summoned to the boardroom to account for his team’s poor showing. Following tradition, Lord Sugar asked Marcus to select two teammates to join him in the final showdown. Marcus chose Dan Miller and Kieran McCartney.

But then, in a move that stunned both Lord Sugar and his advisors, Marcus had a change of heart. As Baroness Karren Brady noted, “that was very unusual.” Marcus requested to amend his selection, asking instead to bring back Priyesh Bathia in place of Dan. Lord Sugar, visibly unimpressed by the indecision, decided to bring all four men—Marcus, Dan, Kieran, and Priyesh—back into the boardroom for an unprecedented grilling.

Questioned about his flip-flop, Marcus explained, “I thought I should also bring in those that didn’t really pull their weight or do anything at all.” Lord Sugar, ever the straight-talker, dismissed Marcus’s attempt to shift blame, quipping that Priyesh “can talk the hind legs off a donkey.” Ultimately, the boardroom drama proved too much for Marcus, who was fired, becoming the third contestant eliminated from the competition. In a post-episode interview, Marcus reflected on his fate: “It was really intense in the boardroom. I had to make a decision very quickly on who to bring back. So, changing my mind didn’t help, but I feel as though there were other candidates that performed a lot worse than I did, didn’t do what they were supposed to do. I feel as though they deserved to get kicked off rather than myself.”

The episode’s outcome marked yet another example of how quickly fortunes can change in The Apprentice boardroom. The show’s twentieth anniversary season is shaping up to be one of its most unpredictable yet, with Lord Sugar showing little patience for indecisiveness or underperformance. With seventeen candidates remaining, the stakes are only getting higher. The next episode, set to air on February 12, 2026, will see the teams tasked with turning ingredients—chicken and eggs—into profit, a classic Apprentice challenge that promises more clashes, surprises, and, undoubtedly, more firings.

For viewers, the appeal of The Apprentice lies not just in the business tasks, but in the unpredictable human drama that unfolds when ambition, pressure, and personality collide. As Lord Sugar’s search for his next business partner continues, one thing is certain: in this boardroom, there’s no room for second guesses.