The Apprentice star Karren Brady revealed co-star Claude Littner was so traumatised by the candidates bickering, that he actually hid in a ‘dark room.’
Poor Claude!
The long-running, Lord Alan Sugar-fronted reality series returns this Thursday [January 5] and we’ve already been introduced to the hopefuls that will be battling it out for the £250,000 investment from the business mogul.
The programme has been a hit with viewers for 19 years, as several contestants put their creativity to the test in a bid to reach the final.
However, it’s not all smooth sailing as many of the recruits butt heads during the process.
During Tuesday’s The One Show, Lord Sugar’s trusted aide Karren, 53, and former series winner Tim Campbell MBE, 45, promoted the upcoming series and gave an update on Claude’s return.
Karren spilled the tea over the upcoming season (Picture: BBC)
Claude will be back for two episodes (Picture: PA)
Reflecting on Claude’s experience with the hopefuls, Karren said: ‘I know Claude said that the bickering got so bad, I saw him at the end of the very first day and he literally had to lay down in a dark room.
‘He said it was really really bad, they were really at each other.’
Season 17 of the beloved BBC competition will kick off with the 18 candidates setting off for a sun-kissed task in the much warmer climes of Antigua.
Since 2015, Claude has been one of Lord Alan Sugar’s trusted aides on the business-themed reality programme, having previously put contestants to the test in gruelling and often savage interviews.
In 2022, he was replaced in the boardroom by Tim after being involved in a horrific accident, having fallen off an electric bike in an incident that resulted in him undergoing nine surgeries.
The 73-year-old is due to appear in two episodes of the 2023 season, with Tim remaining at Lord Sugar’s side and Baroness Karren also returning.
The One Show airs weekdays at 7pm on BBC One and The Apprentice returns on Thursday January 5 at 9pm.