The Apprentice: Season 7

The stakes are raised higher than ever in this series of The Apprentice, as this time there is no six-figure salary job on offer. Instead, the sixteen candidates are vying for one life changing opportunity: £250,000 investment to start their own company, with Lord Sugar as their business partner. Lord Sugar wastes no time showing the candidates he means business, using the first task to challenge his potential partners' entrepreneurial skills. Each team are given £250 to invest in fresh fruit an

An early morning delivery sends the candidates into the fast-paced world of technology. Lord Sugar challenges the teams to think big and go global as they must design, launch and promote a new mobile phone application. In the battle for downloads, the teams must create a mobile app and pitch it to three influential technology websites to become 'App of the Day', as well as attempt to convince a huge crowd of bloggers and software experts at a major gaming fair to support the application and incr

The candidates are called to meet Lord Sugar at London's famous Savoy Hotel to be briefed on their next task. Following a 220 million pound refurbishment, the hotel requires a number of last-minute items prior to its grand reopening. The business hopefuls have nine hours to source ten products, and their powers of negotiation are pushed to the limit as they attempt to track down everything on the hotel's unusual shopping list and purchase them at the lowest possible price. Nick and Karren watch

Lord Sugar gathers the candidates under the statue of Aphrodite at the British Museum, and reveals their next task: to set-up beauty treatment businesses in Birmingham. At the briefing, he re-balances the teams and personally appoints the project managers. The British beauty industry is worth 14 billion pounds annually, with the best margins in hands-on treatments, so Lord Sugar demands both teams offer these and sell cosmetic products off the back of them. After a choice of professional treatme

In a pre-recorded briefing via a giant screen flanked by Karren and Nick, Lord Sugar has called the candidates to an advertising agency. Their task will be to create, brand and pitch a new pet food. But before they start Nick has a message from the boss - once again he picks the team leaders. One team chooses dogs, the other cats. Both teams split - one half to Lincolnshire to create the food, the other half staying at the agency to name and brand the product. Supported by Britain's biggest pet

Alan Sugar calls the candidates to a rubbish dump, and challenges them to form junk-collection businesses. One half of each team has to haul the rubbish themselves while the others offer quotes on big clearances. Profits prove hard to come by with Cockney scrap dealers and quick-witted builders giving them a run for their money, and one project manager is reduced to tears by the grueling work.

The teams are called to gleaming offices in Fleet Street, home to London's oldest newspaper district. Lord Sugar informs the candidates they'll be creating and publishing a free magazine. But first he shuffles the teams, appointing the project managers. Free magazines earn money by selling advertising, but advertisers only buy space in titles with a surefire market. As such, the teams must choose a hit subject, produce appropriate editorial content and convince advertisers they will reach a big

The venue for the candidates' latest briefing is St Pancras International. With the next Eurostar about to leave, there is just time for Lord Sugar to brief and re-balance the personnel, and then it's off to Paris for half of each team. The others must stay back and choose some new British designs to sell to the French. It is a classic export task, with Lord Sugar on the lookout for proven ability to do business abroad. While the candidates in Paris arrange sales appointments for tomorrow, the L

The candidates are enjoying their day off when Lord Sugar turns up at the door. Suddenly it's down to work after he tells them to make, brand and pitch a new type of upmarket biscuit. Project managers get picked (in one case reluctantly) and then it's time for the teams to split up, with half off to a biscuit development lab in Swansea. The teams have two days to get the baking done and packaging designed. In Wales there are sharp elbows in evidence in one team as two of the candidates vie to ge

Called to a north London wholesale warehouse, the teams are met by a nostalgic Lord Sugar, who tells the teams that it was from places like this that he started out buying low to sell high. He gives both teams a pallet carrying 250 pounds' worth of wholesale goods. They must find out what sells best, then re-invest in those products. It is a simple exercise in following the money and increasing sales. The pallets contain cheap nodding dogs, pricey pressure washers, duvet sets, cut-price sunglass

As this year's series of The Apprentice draws to a close and the tension mounts, this programme profiles the remaining five candidates. Revealing the true stories behind their super-confident egos, we discover what really makes these budding business men and women tick. Family, friends and former bosses, along with Lord Sugar's trusted aides Nick Hewer and Karren Brady, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the final five personalities as they vie for the prize of a quarter-million pound inves

At a shopping mall in the City of London, Lord Sugar points out to the teams the wide range of successful fast-food chains and tells them to invent their own outlet, develop a unique cuisine, open it to the public and pitch the concept to him and experts from the fast-food industry. The teams get two brand new sites in the centre of the West End to turn into protoype fast-food outlets. One team goes for Mexican meals, the other for British pie and mash. Both teams split - one half to cook, the o

After eleven tasks, it's finally time for Lord Sugar to choose his business partner. The four finalists each have to face a gruelling interview process on their own. There is nowhere to hide as each of them is grilled by four of Lord Sugar's trusted business colleagues and advisors. Each candidate will also have their business ideas tested to destruction, as their plans for their business with Lord Sugar are put under the microscope. It's the ultimate test of character, as every aspect of their