The battle to become Lord Sugar's business partner is nearing its conclusion. An early-morning phone call informs the candidates that they have 24 hours to brush up on their business plans before being interviewed by four of Lord Sugar's trusted advisers.
The next day, business plans in hand, the candidates are off to the newest addition to London's skyline, the Leadenhall Building. Lord Sugar explains that his advisers will be scrutinizing their plans and credentials before feeding back to him.
The mind games begin as the final five attempt to unsettle each other before being called in, one by one, to meet Lord Sugar's hand-picked hit squad, including one very familiar face indeed.
Armed with CVs and business plans, the advisers launch their attacks - plans are picked apart, characters questioned, and one unhappy candidate gets on the wrong side of Claude Littner. There are tears and triumphs as the candidates are tested to their limits.
In the boardroom, dreams come crashing down as Lord Sugar closes in on the candidates who will make the final. For the others it's goodbye to the £250,000 as they hear the words 'You're fired!'.
The Apprentice sees fourteen candidates, competing against each other for a position at Lord Alan Sugar's company. Each week the candidates take part in a task set by Lord Sugar. Each team will have a Team Leader who managers that group for that task.
The team that performs the best will win a reward and avoid the boardroom. The losing team will be summoned to the boardroom where their team leader will be forced to pick two people in their team who we join them in the boardroom and a chance to be fired.
After twelve weeks Lord Sugar will be left with his Apprentice, who will work for him at a salary of £100,000. Lord Sugar is very busy so he has Nick and Karen, who act as his eyes and ears, to inform him of what's going on.