The Apprentice delayed until summer
Sixth series of The Apprentice delayed until next summer to avoid clash with general election, BBC announces
Wednesday, 11, Nov 2009 10:25
By Matthew Champion.
The sixth series of BBC1's The Apprentice has been delayed until next summer to avoid a clash with the general election, it has been announced.
The decision comes despite the BBC Trust ruling earlier this year that Sir Alan Sugar's dual roles as figurehead of the show and the government's business tsar were not necessarily a breach of editorial guidelines.
But the BBC has opted for a cautious delay of the show until June 3rd, the last possible date for the election to be held.
Sir Alan, or Lord Sugar, was given a peerage when appointed to his role by Gordon Brown earlier this year.
The decision by the BBC means next year's The Apprentice, won this year by Yasmina Siadatan and watched by an average of 9.8 million people, will go head-to-head with the last series of Big Brother on Channel 4.
The show's spin-off Junior Apprentice will also be rescheduled.
Shadow culture secretary Jeremy Hunt had written to BBC director general Mark Thompson in light of Sir Alan's new role to say his position as enterprise tsar and television host were "totally incompatible".