The festive spirit was tinged with controversy on Monday night as the first of two BBC Celebrity Apprentice Christmas specials aired, prompting a wave of viewer complaints about a perceived 'unfair advantage'.
Festive Task Sparks Viewer Backlash
The episode, broadcast on December 29 in aid of BBC Children in Need, dispatched twelve celebrities to Lapland. Their mission was to create a Christmas gingerbread biscuit and develop accompanying promotional material, including an advert and a jingle.
The celebrities were split into two teams. One group, led by project manager JB Gill, included Tom Skinner, Matt Morsia, Shazia Mirza, Angela Scanlon, and Sarah Hadland. Their rivals, managed by Rob Rinder, featured Charlie Hedges, AJ Odudu, Jake Wood, Kadeena Cox, and Eddie Kadi.
Musical Expertise Raises Eyebrows
While the sub-teams baked their biscuits—JB's team creating 'Gary the Penguin' and Rob's team producing 'Jolly McTrouble'—the others worked on branding. The controversy ignited during the jingle creation phase. JB Gill, a member of the chart-topping band JLS, leveraged his professional music experience to craft an infectious theme tune with teammates Sarah and Angela.
Judge Mike Soutar praised JB's performance to the cameras, noting his expertise in briefing sound engineers and leading his team. However, this very proficiency left a sour taste for many watching at home.
Audience Reaction and Calls of 'Cheating'
Taking to platforms like Reddit, fans were quick to voice their disapproval. One viewer stated it was 'kind of cheating having JB on your team for this', while another questioned, 'Surely JB should be reasonably good at this.'
The scrutiny wasn't limited to one team. Viewers also questioned the fairness of Rob Rinder's team enlisting the vocal talents of major music stars Tom Grennan and Craig David for their jingle. 'Calling Tom Grennan should be an instant disqualification,' argued one fan, with another astonished viewer asking if using Craig David's voice 'should be allowed.'
The competing teams were set to present their final products to retail experts in London on Tuesday, December 30, where Lord Sugar would ultimately decide the winning team. The Celebrity Apprentice special remains available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
