Thomas Skinner, known from this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, is set to make his return to The Apprentice for a special Celebrity Christmas edition. The BBC has unveiled plans for two festive episodes featuring celebrities competing to raise funds for BBC Children in Need.
Thomas, who previously appeared on The Apprentice in 2019, joins a star-studded lineup including presenter AJ Odudu, broadcaster Angela Scanlon, Radio 1 DJ Charlie Hedges, comedian Eddie Kadi, actor Jake Wood, singer JB Gill, paralympic athlete Kadeena Cox, Gladiators’ Matt Morsia, TV personality Rob Rinder, actor Sarah Hadland, and comedian Shazia Mirza.
In this two-part Christmas special, the celebrity contestants will be split into two teams and sent to Lapland, the official home of Santa Claus. Tasked with designing their own gingerbread biscuits, they will be supervised by Baroness Karren Brady and Mike Soutar. Teams will not only bake their treats but also create marketing campaigns, including adverts and jingles, culminating in pitches to retailers to secure sales.
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Lord Sugar commented, “This is the first time that products created by Celebrity Apprentice candidates will be available for the public to buy, which adds a new level of pressure. The celebrities might have expected an easy ride, but raising money for Children in Need is serious, and they’ll need to perform or risk ending up on my naughty list.”
One team—featuring AJ, Charlie, Eddie, Jake, Kadeena, and Rob—created “Jolly McTrouble,” a gingerbread biscuit with vanilla and Christmas pudding-flavored icing. This team embraced the slogan “Be Naughty, Get Nice,” portraying the biscuit as Santa’s mischievous sibling.
The second team—comprising Angela, JB, Matt, Sarah, Shazia, and Thomas—developed “Gary the Penguin,” combining gingerbread with bubblegum and white pepper flavors under the motto “A Cheeky Treat for Your Little Rebel.”
These celebrity-designed biscuits will be available in stores starting Friday, November 14.
Thomas Skinner’s return to The Apprentice follows his recent stint on Strictly Come Dancing, where he was partnered with professional dancer Amy Dowden but was the first contestant to be eliminated.
The Celebrity Apprentice Christmas Specials will be broadcast later this year on BBC One and available on iPlayer, promising festive fun and fierce competition in support of a great cause.