The iconic business reality competition The Apprentice makes its highly anticipated return to BBC One this evening, marking a significant milestone as it enters its twentieth season. The enduring format, fronted by the formidable Lord Alan Sugar, continues to attract a fresh cohort of ambitious but often frustratingly inept candidates vying for a £250,000 investment.
A Milestone Season with a Global Twist
To commemorate two decades on air, the series opener features a special panel addition. Tim Campbell, the very first winner from 2005, joins Lord Sugar and his trusted aide Karren Brady in the boardroom, offering a unique perspective from someone who successfully navigated the process.
More notably, the production has gone international for the inaugural task. The competing teams are dispatched to the vibrant, bustling streets of Hong Kong with a challenging shopping list. Their mission is to source nine specific items, a test of their negotiation, logistics, and teamwork skills that typically descends into chaotic farce.
Tonight's Television Lineup
Beyond the boardroom drama, Wednesday evening offers a diverse selection of programming across the major channels.
On ITV1 at 7.30pm, Tonight: Online Reviews – Can You Trust Them? presents a sobering investigation into the murky world of internet feedback. Presented by Sam Leader, the documentary reveals how fake positive reviews can be weaponised and explores tragic cases, including a tenant who discovered her rented property had been converted into an illegal cannabis farm based on falsified agent references.
BBC One continues its business theme at 8pm with a new series of Dragons' Den. The episode features a guest Dragon, cosmetics entrepreneur Jenna Meek, who built a multi-million pound empire from a £3,000 start. Pitchers include a sustainable headwear designer and innovators behind a plant-based beverage aiming to disrupt the industry.
For travel enthusiasts, Channel 4 airs the concluding part of Lorraine Kelly's Norwegian Odyssey at 8pm. The presenter ventures into the Arctic Circle, trying her hand at glass-blowing and dog-sledding while hoping for a glimpse of the spectacular aurora borealis.
Emotional storytelling takes centre stage on ITV1 at 9pm with the series finale of Long Lost Family. The poignant DNA series helps two women search for their older siblings, exploring profound family secrets and the lifelong impact of separation.
Finally, BBC Two concludes the evening's schedule at 11.10pm with the continuing Australian crime drama Mystery Road: Origin. Detective Jay Swan's investigation into missing teenagers becomes dangerously personal, leading him to take increasingly desperate and questionable measures.
