When Does The Apprentice 2026 Wrap Up? Key Dates and Schedule for Series 20 of the BBC Hit!

LORD Alan Sugar’s annual quest to find a business partner to invest £250,000 of his hard-earned cash in is back.

Here’s everything you need to know about , so you don’t miss a moment of the action.

When does The Apprentice 2026 begin?

Series 20 of premieres at 9pm on Thursday, January 29.

Straight after it ends, hosted by starts at 10.05pm.

Fans can expect detailed debriefs on all of the boardroom business, as well as an array of top celeb guests.

Following her appearance, Angela was a stand-out star in the show’s Christmas special.

Angela said: “I can’t wait to get suited and booted and sit down with candidates and celeb fans each week to unpack the drama, make sense of the madness and hopefully walk away with some business advice while I’m at it!”

airs on BBC One, while Apprentice: Unfinished Business is broadcast on BBC Two.

You can also watch both on BBC iPlayer.

Who is on The Apprentice 2026?

The hoping to become ’s business partner in the latest series are as follows:

• Andrea Cooper, lettings agency owner from Barnsley – as this year’s oldest contestant, she says: “I have years of life experience behind me, which most other candidates lack.”
• Carrington Saunders, online loungewear business owner from Southeast London – with her socials savvy, she says: “I am a unique candidate because my business vastly relies on social media, and Lord Sugar hasn’t had a business partner who is enveloped so heavily in social media.”
• Georgia Newton, events manager and actress from East London – believes in teamwork over treachery, explaining: “I always lead with kindness and I truly don’t think anyone like me has ever been a part of the process.”
• Conor Galvin, photo booth business owner from Cork, Ireland – wants Lord Sugar to believe in his plan for a photo booth with a storytelling twist, saying: “I’m capable, determined and always give my all.”
• Karishma Vijay, beauty brand owner from Ashford, Surrey – looking for investment in her skincare brand, Karishma reckons she’s “the only candidate in The Apprentice history that isn’t a committed viewer”.
• Dan Miller, recruitment company owner from Richmond, London – having made his first million by 25, he wants Lord Sugar to take him to the next level, saying: “I started from nothing but [my business] has grown into one of the UK’s largest student networks.”
• Tanmay Hingorani, AI product consultant from Islington, London – thinks he and Lord Sugar are two peas in a pod, saying: “Our skills would complement each other – his business experience with my product expertise.”
• Marcus Donkoh, barber from South London – he’s come a long way from cutting hair in his mum’s house, but doesn’t take everything too seriously, saying: “I also love a bit of banter. All work and no play will ruin Marcus’s day!”
• Nikki Jetha, mortgage broker from Hornchurch, Essex – drawing inspiration from Kim Kardashian, she says: “Kim proved that you can be glamorous, family-orientated and a complete boss.”
• Priyeshi Bhatia, global account manager from Harrow, London – hoping to turn his mobile cocktail-bar firm into a national brand, Priyeshi says: “I’m known for speaking my mind.”
• Lawrence Rosenberg, public relations specialist from Watford – confident and funny, he jokes: “I don’t need Lord Sugar, Lord Sugar needs me. I’m obviously kidding – I’m not going to be that guy.”
• Roxanne Hamedi, reality TV star, entrepreneur and pharmacist from Aberdeen, Scotland – the former Geordie Shore star says: “My friends call me a fiery, sassy chilli-pepper pocket rocket.”
• Kieran McCartney, estate agent from East London – his mission is to make people trust estate agents more, saying: “By combining my industry expertise with Lord Sugar’s guidance and resources, we can set a new standard for trust.”
• Vanessa Tetteh-Squire, tech project manager from Enfield, London – wanting to make a splash with her swim and resort-wear brand, she says: “My designs will defy gravity – blending style and function in ways that empower, give confidence and bring comfort.”
• Harry Clough, financial sales manager from Battersea, London – skint from investing and repeatedly failing, he says: “I may sound posh, but I’ve got no dosh and that’s why I’m here to make it.”
• Pascha Myhill, recruitment consultant from Reading – with dreams of launching a recruitment company, she says: “Being young gives me an advantage – I’m adaptable, ambitious and ready to do things differently.”
• Rothna Akhtar, student wellbeing adviser from East London – with a business plan involving wellbeing workshops and bespoke occasion cakes, she says: “I guess you could say when it comes to getting the job done, I’m the icing on the cake.”
• Levi Hague, HGV driver and former RAF gunner from Doncaster – looking to build a personalised pet-cremation urns business, he says: “People say I’m a man who’s lived a thousand lives.”
• Megan Ruiter, online clothing brand owner from Merseyside – the fashion entrepreneur says: “I don’t know what a nine-to-five job is because my work life is 24/7. I have no ‘off’ button, it’s always go, go, go.”
• Rajan Gill, pharmaceutical sales specialist from Medway, Kent – seeking investment in his bespoke-media walls and TV business, he says: “I don’t believe in luck, you create your own luck in life. I create my own outcomes, and throughout this show I’ll prove it.”

When does The Apprentice 2026 finish?

As of January 29, the is yet to confirm an official end-date for the .

However, the broadcaster has confirmed will air weekly on Thursday nights and the season runs for 12 episodes.

So by conventional logic, the series will end in mid-April, but we’ll need to wait for an announcement from the Beeb to be sure.

Eze Chidiebere Paul

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