The Apprentice is a British business-styled reality game show created by Mark Burnett, distributed by Fremantle and broadcast by the BBC since 16 February 2005. Devised after the success of the American original and part of the international franchise of the same name, the programme focuses on a group of businesspeople competing in a series of business-related challenges set by British business magnate Alan Sugar, in order to prove themselves worthy of a prize offered by him. To observe candidates as they undertake these tasks, Sugar is aided by two close business associates who act as observers with little involvement in what is conducted – these roles are currently performed by Karren Brady and either Claude Littner or Tim Campbell. Originally aired on BBC Two, its first series generated favourable viewing figures that led to the creation of a companion discussion show, The Apprentice: You're Fired!, with further increasing figures after the second series leading to the programme being aired on BBC One to a much wider audience. The success of The Apprentice has led to it receiving its own merchandising, including a magazine and official books, along with one-off celebrity episodes for charity, and a spin-off, Young Apprentice, which ran between 2010 and 2012. The programme is a staple part of the BBC's television schedule, with the programme contributing a significant part to television culture, including parodies and imitations for comedy, as well as influencing the designs of other British-based business programmes, such as Tycoon, and Beat the Boss. History In March 2004, following the success of the first season of NBC's The Apprentice, FremantleMedia saw the possibility for creating an international franchise, and announced its intentions to create a British version of the programme under the same name and format. The company offered any British broadcaster the chance to secure the rights to the new programme, the most significant bids coming from the BBC and Channel 4. Negotiations finished on the 1 April, when the BBC was announced as the new owner of the future programme after outbidding their rival. This left the BBC with the task of finding a business personality to front The Apprentice. The BBC made offers promising a potentially lucrative business opportunity to several business individuals, including Philip Green, Felix Dennis and Michael O'Leary, but each of their initial choices declined when approached. On 19 May, Sir Alan Sugar agreed to present the twelve