What happened to The Apprentice stars Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford?
TV

Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford leave The Apprentice after 10 series

They were staples of the show years

Nick and Margaret in The Apprentice were staples of the show for so many years.

But now Lord Alan Sugar has a new pair of advisors – Baroness Karren Brady and, in this series, Tim Campbell.

So what happened to telly favourites Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford?

What happened to The Apprentice stars Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford?
Nick was a fixture on the show for 10 series (Credit: YouTube)

The Apprentice: What happened to Nick Hewer and why did he leave?

Having worked together with Lord Sugar at his company Amstrad since 1983, Nick – now aged 77 – became Lord Sugar’s advisor right from the very start.

The show, which began in 2005, saw Nick take up his role and become a hit with fans.

But, after 10 series, he decided to fire himself and leave the show.

Read more: Nick Hewer admits ‘it’ll be sad to say goodbye’ to Countdown and he ‘might well’ get ’emotional’

He said in a statement: “I’ve been pondering my departure from The Apprentice for a while and have decided that year 10 is the appropriate time.

“So I leave with relief, tinged with regret. Anyone can do what Karren and I have been doing, but it takes stamina to follow the candidates week after week, and my stamina is not up to those long weeks.”

He was 70 at the time.

Lord Sugar paid tribute to his long-time pal, tweeting: “It’s with a heavy heart I have to say farewell to my good friend Nick Hewer from the apprentice. I thank him sincerely for the past 10 years.”

What happened to The Apprentice stars Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford?
Nick on Countdown (Credit: Channel 4)

What did Nick do next?

Nick, who also appeared on spin-off shows Young Apprentice and …You’re Fired, landed the role as host of Countdown two years before he left The Apprentice.

He retired last year, handing over the reins to Anne Robinson.

He’s also appeared on Who Do You Think You Are?

After he left The Apprentice, Nick teamed up with Margaret Mountford in the documentaries Too Many Immigrants? and The Trouble With Our Trains.

Not to be content with that, he also appeared in 2018’s The Great Celebrity Bake Off, in a Stand Up to Cancer special.

What happened to The Apprentice stars Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford?
Margaret was an advisor for five series (Credit: YouTube)

The Apprentice: What happened to Margaret Mountford?

Another of Lord Sugar’s former Amstrad colleagues, Margaret – originally from Northern Ireland – was also a corporate lawyer.

During her five years as an advisor, steely Margaret became a huge hit with fans.

However, after five series she decided to quit her role and dedicate more time to her studies.

She said in a statement: “I have really enjoyed making The Apprentice and it was a very hard decision to say goodbye.

“But I am working on a PhD in papyrology and I would like to concentrate on finishing this before I need a Zimmer frame to get on the platform to receive it.

“It has been an amazing experience, and certainly not one that I will ever forget.”

Lord Sugar said in his own statement: “Margaret has been a highly regarded colleague and friend for over 25 years.

“Five years ago she agreed to put her studies on hold for the first series.

“None of us expected the show to be such a big hit, but now, five years later, she really wants to finish her masters.”

What happened to The Apprentice stars Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford?
Margaret returned to her studies (Credit: SplashNews.com)

What did Margaret do next?

After leaving her role as advisor, Margaret did stay on to interview the final candidates at the end of each series.

However, in 2014 she revealed that she had been fired from the show.

“They didn’t ask me back. I suppose I was fired!” she said in an interview.

Read more: Navid Sole from The Apprentice wants to ‘find love and ‘lose virginity’ after being kicked off

“No, obviously they weren’t going to want me to carry on doing interviews forever, and nor did I want to do them forever.”

Since leaving The Apprentice, Margaret – now 70 – has appeared in various BBC documentaries with her former colleague, Nick Hewer.

And there has also been an appearance with Nick on Celebrity Antiques Roadtrip in 2015.

The last time we saw Margaret on TV was in the 2018 BBC Four documentary, Sappho: Love & Life on Lesbos with Margaret Mountford.

She has been with partner Gary O’Neil since 1997.

Episode Eleven - Margaret Returns - The Apprentice - BBC One

Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor