Karren Brady on Apprentice stars breaking the sex ban, what Lord Sugar’s really like & why she turned down Dragon’s Den

JANUARY may be cold and miserable, but it’s got one big thing going for it – the return of The Apprentice to brighten up those dark winter nights.

And this year, according to Lord Alan Sugar’s trusted advisor and Fabulous columnist Karren Brady CBE, it will be better than ever.

“You can expect many laugh-out-loud, eye-rolling, gobsmacking moments,” says Karren, 55.

“We start in Austria, where teams have to sell tickets to an experience. They think it’s going to be easy and, of course it proves to be a lot harder.”

As well as endless entertainment over the years, the show has also produced several romantic liaisons, with Michaela Wain and Harrison Jones having the first Apprentice baby in 2018, while 2022 winner Harpreet Kaur and fellow contestant Akshay Thakrar tied the knot last year.

Of course, the producers want contestants to focus on the boardroom, not the bedroom, so there’s a sex ban clause in their contracts, preventing hook-ups during filming.

But two of this year’s contestants, Amber-Rose Badrudin, 24, and Keir Shave, 27, have already broken it, with The Sun On Sunday revealing they had a romantic tryst during filming in Turkey – leaving Karren astounded.

“Bearing in mind I was in Turkey with that team, the first thing I knew about that was when I read about it in The Sun On Sunday,” she admits.

“I still don’t know anything about it, I can’t really comment. I never knew there was a sex ban.”

It’s not just The Apprentice that doesn’t want relationships starting at work – many companies are now banning office romances in real life. Does Karren think it’s right for bosses to take this stand?

“I met my husband at work,” she says, laughing.

“So I can hardly read the riot act.” (Paul Peschisolido, 53, was playing for Birmingham City FC while Karren was managing director of the club.)

“But when it says on the show it is 4am, it actually is. And we’re going until 10pm, and there’s not a day off. It’s back-to-back. So how they’ve got time for any shenanigans is beyond me!”

Despite the early starts, it’s always impressive how glamorous the female contestants are, and Karren reveals they take how they look very seriously.

“I’m always astounded at the heels they wear,” she says. “And in the first episode, a few of them refuse to wear a coat in Austria. Maybe I’m just old, but it was freezing. I was staggered, but they learned very quickly that actually being comfortable and warm is an asset. And yes, I did wear mine!”

But while she might have been wrapped up, she still gives the girls a run for their money in the style stakes.

“Well, I don’t always feel it,” she laughs. “I have excellent hair and make-up artists.

“It’s all about trying to be healthy and comfortable in your skin. It’s not easy when you’re in your mid-50s seeing yourself on a high definition 50-inch TV screen. But I am comfortable. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I’m not on TV for my looks or my sparkling personality, but for my business brain, so I try to focus on that. But when you are on TV, it’s important that you feel presentable and half-decent.”

I’m on TV for my business brain, not my looks or sparkling personality

Despite most people carrying some post-festive pounds, Karren looks more svelte than ever.

“I have lost a bit of weight. I try to lose about 5kg before a season starts filming in June, so I look my normal weight and I don’t look huge next to Alan, as he’s so fit and healthy.

“But last year when The Apprentice finished, I got a serious stomach bug and lost another 5kg. Losing weight is easier than maintaining it, but I’ve been making healthy and sensible choices, which is important as you get older. I cycle or walk everywhere, too.”

But that doesn’t mean Karren doesn’t enjoy a bite to eat after a hard day’s filming with her fellow advisor, Tim Campbell, who won the first series of the show in 2005 and took over from Claude Littner in 2022.

The 75-year-old businessman was forced to step back from the show following a serious cycling accident that nearly cost him his leg.

“Claude is fantastic,” Karren says.

“I really loved working with him and we have become really close. We’re both very good friends with Alan, as well. But Tim’s been a great addition and I like working with him, too. He brings a different perspective to the show, having previously been a contestant. I think the show is greatly enriched from his experience.”

Thankfully for Claude fans, he will be making a return appearance, giving a typically terrifying performance during the interview round.

“It’s funny, because when we get down to the final five, a few of them are crying in the boardroom because they’re so happy. But I said: ‘Yeah, I’d be crying too if I had to face Claude tomorrow!’

“There are absolutely no flies on Claude. He goes through those business plans and any silly mistake you’ve made, he will pick up on it. My favourite moment was with one chap [Solomon Akhtar], after Claude turned him away, he walked into a window in shock!

“He is so charming away from the interview room. He is one of the softest, kindest men you’ll ever meet. But his persona is pretty scary,” she laughs.

“It’s like Alan – he’s firm but always fair. He doesn’t mind people making mistakes. What he doesn’t like is not owning up to them or blaming other people for them.

“Alan has such great one-liners and they come so naturally to him. He’s funny and witty, both on- and off-camera. He’s a pleasure to work with and one of the most loyal, honest people on this planet.”

Alan and I are not TV stars – we both have serious business interests

A few days before we meet, Dragons’ Den star Touker Suleyman blasted The Apprentice during an interview with Radio Times, saying: “I think Dragons’ Den is real. We are really changing people’s lives, and I think, with all due respect to Lord Sugar and The Apprentice, it’s a reality show.

“This [Dragons’ Den] is about business, this is about us parting with our own money. I can assure you, we don’t get paid as well as Lord Sugar, who could afford to pay the £250,000. It’s our own hard-earned cash that we use in this show to change people’s lives.”

But Karren doesn’t agree.

“I don’t think it’s fair at all. I know a couple of the Dragons and, well, perhaps it’s best not to get into it. . . But it’s not real. It’s a production company like everything else.

“Alan is parting with his own money. But more than that, he’s parting with decades of expertise. He’s starting a business with someone often from scratch and seeing that business at the end of the period. He’s working with them, with a multimillion-pound turnover, employing hundreds of staff successfully.

“Anyone who’s got money can chuck it at people and say: ‘Oh, here’s £15k, go see what you can do.’ In fact, it’s a lot harder to go into business with someone, be their partner, mentor them, help grow the business, get it off the ground and support them. I’ve been asked a few times to be a Dragon, but I’ve only got time to do one [TV] thing and that’s to be on The Apprentice.”

Karren is keen to emphasise that she, Lord Sugar and the BBC team work hard to maintain the business element of the programme and not let it become just another reality show.

“First and foremost, Alan and I aren’t television stars. We’ve got serious business interests,” says Karren, whose stellar 35-year career makes her the ideal person to front our Fix Your Career issue.

“Alan does it because he loves new businesses and helping young people. It’s a real hobby of his. For him, once the camera stops rolling, he’s in business with the person, so it’s really important that the show reflects business at all times.”

On the day of our shoot, Karren – who is vice-chair of West Ham United FC – is juggling the fallout following the sacking of the club’s manager Julen Lopetegui.

But despite a jam-packed schedule and endless calls, she is so pleasant and professional that you’d never guess anything was amiss.

How much does it affect her when the team does badly?

“It’s been disappointing, bearing in mind we spent more than £160million in the summer,” she admits.

“We brought in a new manager, but unfortunately, we had to let him go and bring in another one [Graham Potter]. Hopefully, things will start to turn.

“It does affect my mood. All my ambitions are for West Ham, having values and purpose and fulfilling the supporters’ hopes and expectations. So, when it’s not going well, you really feel it. But the most important thing is to make a decision and see what you can do to help the manager make things as good as possible.”

Never one to rest on her laurels, Karren also sits in the House of Lords – a role she takes extremely seriously and doesn’t receive a penny for.

“A lot of people don’t really understand what the House of Lords is,” says Karren.

“We don’t make law. Our role is to look at legislation that comes from the government and amend it to make it better, using our expertise,” she explains.

“I don’t charge anything. I don’t take any allowances or expenses. I don’t take anything out of it. I use my expertise to help the government make better decisions.”

Being friends is the most important thing in a marriage – Paul and I always have a laugh

While it’s clear that her day jobs are incredibly demanding, there is another role that she’s relishing – being a grandmother. Her daughter Sophia, 27, has a nine-month-old baby boy with her partner Frankie Makin.

“It is the best thing ever,” Karren smiles.

“My grandson has changed our lives. My daughter is a fantastic mother and is taking it absolutely naturally. It’s wonderful. He calls me ‘BB’. He never cries and is always smiling, he’s just a really gorgeous, happy, healthy baby. They live in Dubai, but we don’t go more than six weeks without seeing each other.

“I wake up around 5.30am, and the first thing I do is FaceTime them every morning, because they’re four hours ahead.”

What’s the biggest difference between being a mother (to Sophia and son Paolo) and a grandmother? “You can spoil them,” Karren says.

“It’s always ‘yes’ because you want them to be happy all the time. Whereas when you’re the mum, you do have to say ‘no’ and teach them discipline.”

And does her grandson support West Ham? Karren laughs. “Well, his dad, my daughter’s husband, is a Manchester United fan. But the first game he came to was West Ham. I’m doing my best.”

In fact, her love of football is what Karren credits with her happy marriage of nearly 30 years to her husband Paul.

“We always have a laugh. I think being friends is the most important thing, and having shared interests. Our priorities are family, our children, our grandson. We like doing the same sorts of things, like travelling. We like watching the same things, though football is always on in our house.

“I can imagine if you’re married to someone who loves football and you don’t, it might be difficult. But for us, we both love it, so we’re always very happy!”

• Watch The Apprentice, Thursday, 9pm, BBC1 and iPlayer.