Get ready, because The Celebrity Apprentice is making its long-awaited return — and it’s bringing plenty of famous faces along for the ride.
The BBC spin-off is set to hit screens later this year, with celebrities going head-to-head in a high-stakes battle for a £100,000 prize pot for charity.
And if you think the stars will be getting special treatment, think again. Lord Alan Sugar has already made it clear this series won’t be pulling any punches. He teased: “We’ve not done anything like this before. And it’ll be entertaining to see these 12 celebrities being put through six weeks of some brilliant business challenges.
“But just because they’re celebrities, it doesn’t mean they’re going to get an easy ride. Especially when there’s £100,000 at stake for their chosen charity.”
So, who’s brave enough to step into the boardroom this time? Here’s the full lowdown on The Celebrity Apprentice 2026 line-up…
The Celebrity Apprentice line-up revealed
A mix of household names from TV, music and social media have signed up to test their business skills.
Among those taking part are singer and Strictly favourite Alexandra Burke, alongside soap star Danny Miller, known for his role as Aaron Dingle.
They’ll be joined by presenter and Morning Live host Gethin Jones, dancer and TV personality Jordan Banjo, journalist Kay Burley, and actress and online personality Maddie Grace Jepson.
Also stepping up to the challenge are TikTok star Max Balegde, Gladiator Sheli McCoy, UK garage icon DJ Spoony, Strictly star Richie Anderson, comedian Laura Smyth and Love Island winner Toni Laites.
The Emmerdale actor is hoping to impress Sir Alan Sugar (Credit: ITV)
Who is on The Celebrity Apprentice?
Across six episodes, the celebrity contestants will be put through a series of tough weekly business tasks, all designed by Lord Sugar himself.
Each star will be competing to secure a £100,000 donation for their chosen charity. But only one will walk away as the winner.
There’s also a major shake-up this time around. The famous boardroom scenes will move to a London City skyscraper. This offers a fresh backdrop for those tense moments when Lord Sugar decides who stays — and who gets fired.
Paul Broadbent, Director of Programmes at Naked, said: “We’ve a brilliant cast of familiar faces entering our brand-new boardroom. And with a full six-episode series, viewers will get many opportunities to see the celebrities as they’ve never before, battling to show off their business acumen for a massive charity prize.”
‘Viewers are in for a brilliant ride’
Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC, also promised plenty of drama. They said: “This brand-new full-length series of The Celebrity Apprentice takes everything audiences love about the format and turns the pressure right up.
“This year’s celebrities arrive with strong reputations — but in the boardroom, status counts for nothing. They’ll be tested on leadership, teamwork and commercial instinct, and only those who can truly deliver will make it through.
“It’s bold, unpredictable and hugely entertaining – and viewers are in for a brilliant ride.”
Read more: Celebrity Apprentice: Who won after Lord Alan Sugar tells one star ‘You’re fired!’
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