News Broadcasting
‘The Apprentice’ gets a British flavour
MUMBAI: It is time now for an ambitious Brit to get fired! The reality show The Apprentice has crossed the Atlantic. The BBC has announced a localised version of the show which kicks off on BBC Two in the UK from 19 February.
Last month Dubai based real estate company Emaar Properties had announced plans to launch a local version of the show in the desert sheikhdom.
The original version hosted by corporate magnet Donald Trump airs on NBC in the US and in India on Star World. The BBC version will see 14 young high-fliers shortlisted from thousands, battling it out through a gruelling selection process. They compete for a £100,000 year-long job with self-made tycoon Sir Alan Sugar.
As in the American show the candidates in the BBC show are from varying backgrounds – from property developer to charity fundraiser, from headhunter to hotel manager. They also range from MBA graduates to some who left school without qualifications.
The 14 candidates have to face a 12 week job interview. Each week their ambition, business flair and their wits will be tested to the full as they compete in business tasks set by Sir Alan.
Displaying a certain degree of contempt for wannabe business entrepreneurs Sir Alan says, “Lots of people claim to be an entrepreneur and they’re not. You can’t learn to be an entrepreneur, I am afraid to say. It’s something that’s in you. I don’t want to blow my own trumpet but I’m looking for someone similar to me.”
He also shot out a blunt warning to the contestants saying, “Never ever underestimate me because you will be making a fatal error. I don’t like liars, I don’t like cheats, I don’t like bullshitters, I don’t like schmoozers and I don’t like arse-lickers.”
The candidates will be divided into teams and the team that wins the weekly assignment will be given a reward. However the losers must report to the boardroom for a showdown with Sir Alan who grills them on their mistakes. If his bluntness is anything to go by then it could well turn out to be a nerve racking experience for the participant whose neck is on the chopping block.
Throughout the series the candidates will live together in a luxury eight bedroom mansion on the banks of the river Thames and experience a taste of the high life they aspire to.
Sir Alan left school at the age of 16 and started trading from a small council flat. By the Eighties his Amstrad computer was a household name across Europe. Thick-skinned and uncompromising, he became Chairman then hate figure at Tottenham Hotspur, but he’s still their biggest single shareholder. At the age of 57, Sir Alan is still at the top of his game with a global empire worth £700 million.
As had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com NBC has launched another version of The Apprentice in the US which will be hosted by Martha Stewart.
News Broadcasting
BBC to cut up to 2,000 jobs in biggest overhaul in 15 years
Cost pressures and leadership change drive major workforce reduction plan
LONDON: BBC has unveiled plans to cut up to 2,000 jobs, roughly 10 per cent of its global workforce, in what marks its biggest downsizing in 15 years.
The announcement was made during an all-staff meeting led by interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies, as the broadcaster moves to tackle mounting financial pressures and reshape its operations.
Between 1,800 and 2,000 roles are expected to be eliminated from a workforce of around 21,500. The cuts form part of a broader plan to save £500 million over the next two years, aimed at offsetting rising costs, stagnating licence fee income and weaker commercial revenues.
In a communication to staff, BBC interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies said, “I know this creates real uncertainty, but we wanted to be open about the challenge,” acknowledging the impact the move would have across the organisation.
The restructuring comes at a time of leadership transition. Former director-general Tim Davie stepped down earlier this month, with Matt Brittin, a former Google executive, set to take over the role on May 18, 2026.
While some cost-cutting measures are being implemented immediately, the majority of the structural changes are expected to roll out over the next few years, with full savings targeted by the 2027–2028 financial year.
The broadcaster had earlier signalled its intent to reduce its cost base by around 10 per cent over a three-year period, warning of “difficult choices” as it adapts to shifting economic realities and audience expectations.
With operating costs hovering around £6 billion annually, the BBC’s latest move underscores the scale of the financial challenge it faces, as it balances public service commitments with the need for long-term sustainability in an increasingly competitive media landscape.
