The festive spirit was in full swing on British television as The Celebrity Apprentice returned with a Christmas special that left viewers buzzing—and more than a little divided. The first of two holiday episodes, which aired on December 29, 2025, in support of BBC Children in Need, saw a dozen famous faces whisked away to Lapland. Their mission? To bake and brand the ultimate Christmas gingerbread biscuit, then craft a marketing blitz with adverts and jingles that would charm both retailers and the public. But by the time the winners were announced on December 30, social media was ablaze with accusations of a "fix," and fans were left questioning whether the right team had truly come out on top.
The star-studded lineup was split into two teams. Team one, led by project manager JB Gill, included Tom Skinner, Matt Morsia, Shazia Mirza, Angela Scanlon, and Sarah Hadland. Their competition, under the guidance of TV lawyer and Strictly Come Dancing alum Rob Rinder, featured Charlie Hedges, AJ Odudu, Jake Wood, Kadeena Cox, and Eddie Kadi. The challenge, set by the ever-imposing Lord Sugar, was simple in theory but devilish in execution: create a gingerbread biscuit with a compelling backstory, market it with a catchy campaign, and sell as many units as possible to raise money for charity.
JB's team took a bold approach, inventing "Gary the Penguin"—a gingerbread treat with the unusual combination of bubblegum and white pepper flavors. It was an odd choice, to say the least, and even some team members seemed unsure about it. Their marketing push included a rather chaotic advert, featuring Tom Skinner in a penguin costume, screaming for attention. Meanwhile, Rob's squad developed "Jolly Mc Trouble," a biscuit blending vanilla and Christmas pudding flavors. Unfortunately, their batch ended up slightly overdone, a detail that didn't go unnoticed during the crucial tasting phase.
Both teams presented their creations to a panel of industry retailers at a central London venue, hoping to secure massive orders. To boost their pitches, JB's group brought in TV personality Rylan Clark and Gladiators stars Montell Douglas, Livi Sheldon, and Matty Campbell—better known to fans as Fire, Diamond, and Bionic. Rob, not to be outdone, called in favors from celebrity friends, securing video endorsements from none other than Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman. The stakes were high, and the presentations were nothing if not entertaining.
Market research played a key role, with both teams testing their biscuits on groups of children. The feedback helped them refine their final pitches, but it was clear that the judges were looking for more than just flavor—they wanted a story, a sense of fun, and a product that would fly off shelves nationwide. Both "Gary the Penguin" and "Jolly Mc Trouble" had already been stocked in stores across the UK since November, giving the teams a real-world test of their marketing prowess.
When the time came to tally the results, the numbers spoke volumes. Rob's team managed to sell an impressive 355,500 units of Jolly Mc Trouble. However, JB's team soared ahead, racking up 452,000 orders for Gary the Penguin. It was a landslide victory by the numbers, but not everyone was convinced that the right team had won.
Lord Sugar, ever the straight-talker, praised Rob's team for their compelling backstory and Jake Wood's carefully crafted advertisement. Yet, despite acknowledging their strong sales and creative efforts, he ultimately declared JB's team the winners. The surprise decision sent shockwaves through the boardroom—and across the internet.
Backstage, tensions simmered. Rob Rinder, clearly disappointed, accused the rival team of "breaking the rules" by not producing a truly Christmas-themed snack. "Jolly McTrouble is going to be on the shelf. I have to say, it’s a beautiful product. As people will discover, it’ll outsell the other one. I have to say I’m not entirely convinced it’s a Christmas biscuit, but that’s for me to litigate another day," Rob quipped, as reported by The Sun. But even he admitted that he had struggled to provide clear direction to his own team, a point Lord Sugar seized upon in the final boardroom showdown.
"I don’t like wasting my time, you admit yourself that you gave your team no clear direction so despite the fact that you did a tremendous job in selling so many units. I do acknowledge that. So it is with regret, you’re fired," Lord Sugar told Rob, according to The Sun. With that, Rob brought Kadeena Cox and Jake Wood back into the boardroom, but it was he who ultimately got the chop.
As the credits rolled, viewers took to X (formerly Twitter) to vent their frustration. Comments ranged from disbelief to outrage. "Fix, how did they win with that crap?!" one viewer exclaimed, while another asked, "How the f*** did that team win with that diabolical advert." Some couldn’t believe Gary the Penguin triumphed, claiming, "They had the worse TV advert and their flavours were disgusting. Jolly Mc Trouble should have won." Still, a few fans came to the defense of the winning team, with one posting, "I'm pleased Gary the Penguin won as even though their ad was awful, the product made far more sense (and the jingle was catchy)!" as reported by Wales Online and Everything Gossip.
The controversy over the result only added fuel to the show's enduring appeal. After all, what’s a reality competition without a little drama? Both gingerbread treats had their moment in the spotlight, stocked on shelves nationwide and helping to raise funds for a good cause. And while Rob Rinder may have exited the boardroom in disappointment, fans can look forward to more celebrity showdowns—a full celebrity series is set to be filmed in 2026, with the regular edition of The Apprentice returning in January.
For now, The Celebrity Apprentice remains available to stream on BBC iPlayer, giving viewers a chance to judge for themselves whether justice was served in the boardroom—or whether, as some insist, the fix was in all along.
