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
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
