Apprentice legend Tom Skinner on his close bond with 'top bloke' Alan Sugar

28 January 2024 , 07:00

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Apprentice legend Tom Skinner on his close bond with 'top bloke' Alan Sugar

It's almost time for The Apprentice to return to our screens once again, with a new batch hopeful business wannabes ready to do what they can to impress Lord Alan Sugar.

The 2024 series will kick off on Thursday 1st February at 9pm, airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with the 18 new candidates already revealed ahead of the premiere.

Besides giving entrepreneurs a chance to expand their businesses, The Apprentice has also boosted the personal brands of many its contestants, with loads of former stars landing big careers on TV and social media (alongside sadly introducing Katie Hopkins to the public for the first time in 2007).

Former candidate Tom Skinner is undoubtedly most popular candidates of all time, with The Apprentice alum cultivating a loyal fan base since first trying his luck on the BBC series.

Tom Skinner has come a long way since making his TV debut on The Apprentice in 2019 (BBC)

'Top fella' Lord Sugar is even one of his customers these days (PA)

After appearing on The Apprentice in 2019, Tom has enjoyed a surge in online popularity over the last 12 months, thanks to his regular motivational updates on social media and his divise breakfast choices at his beloved Dino's Cafe. A big believer in hard work, Tom puts in incredible levels of graft when it comes to running his businesses, Bosh Market, Bosh Gym and more. Not bad for a contestant who was fired after the ninth task.

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Speaking to the Mirror last month, ahead of this year's line-up being unveiled, Tom shared his tips for the new batch of contestants and revealed how the BBC show changed his life for the better - with the reality TV legend still amazed Lord Sugar is now one of his most loyal customers.

"I've got no qualifications but my now wife wrote the application form out for me and they got back to me and said 'we want you to do it'. So I think you've just got to go for it and be yourself," Tom recalled about how he ended up on The Apprentice. Going on to offer advice to future candidates, Tom added: "It doesn't matter about your qualifications, just be yourself and be willing to to give it your all because it's the best experience I've ever had in my life, I really mean that.

"You get advice from proper billionaires like Lord Alan Sugar and Karen Brady and you learn some much. So whatever is going on, just grab the bull by the horns and learn as much as you can. Also, just enjoy it because it is a life experience that you may never get again.

Speaking of "proper billionaire" Lord Sugar, Tom is still in touch with the man who fired him in the BBC boardroom five years ago. "We swap WhatsApps and that, he's a top bloke," Tom told us. "He's become a friend as well as a customer. I have to pinch myself sometimes. Look at him, he was a market trader that is now a billionaire - he's an inspiration."

Elsewhere during his chat with the Mirror in December, Tom revealed the reason why he didn't appear on the 2023 series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! earlier in the year - with the dad-of-three admitting that while talks with ITV did take place, a deal couldn't be finalised.

Despite being tipped as a favourite to enter the jungle, Tom was noticeably absent when the likes of This Morning's Josie Gibson and Jamie Lynn Spears took on the Bushtucker Trials last year. "I thought I was going on I'm A Celebrity this year," Tom confessed in December, "I was the bookies favourite by a long way to go in there this year but a deal couldn't be done this year so..."

But the dream isn't over just yet. Tom went on to express his willingness to participate in the future, stating: "I would 100% accept if they asked me. I think i'd be quite good at it. I ain't scared of nothing apart from heights yeah, but I would like to overcome that fear. I'm well good with people, I'd be a good little chef in there and lose a little bit of weight - plus it's a free holiday to Australia!"

And how would Tom tackle some potential gruesome meals Down Under? "I used to run a burger van on Bromford market," he laughed. "I can eat anything!"

Zoe Delaney