Karren Brady shares real reason behind Rob Rinder and AJ Odudu feud as BBC Celebrity Apprentice pair embroiled in clash

For the first time, the products created on the show will actually go on sale in shops over the festive period.

The celebrities taking part include AJ Odudu, Angela Scanlon, Charlie Hedges, Eddie Kadi, Jake Wood, JB Gill, Kadeena Cox, Matt Morsia, Rob Rinder, Sarah Hadland, Shazia Mirza and Tom Skinner.

In a festive twist on the usual Apprentice format, the candidates are split into two teams and flown to Lapland, billed as the official home of Santa Claus, where they are tasked with developing their own gingerbread biscuit.

Speaking ahead of the two-part charity special, Ms Brady explained that the feud came almost immediately after Rob Rinder was appointed project manager, with the team’s first planning meeting failing to focus on strategy.

“It didn’t start very well,” Ms Brady said. “Rob Rinder was made project manager, and rather than use the time that they had in the meeting to decide their strategy, decide what they were going to do, what theme they were going to have, they all decided to say what was important about Christmas to them."

The TV personality continued: "That’s where the tension started between him and AJ Odudu.”

As well as perfecting the recipe, the teams must create packaging, an advert and a jingle, before pitching the product to major retailers in the hope of securing large orders.

Ms Brady, who follows one of the teams throughout the task as Lord Sugar’s trusted adviser, said the clash between Mr Rinder and Ms Odudu was rooted in strong personalities and differing approaches, rather than any personal dislike.

“I think they all cared a lot about doing the job well, not just for themselves, but because of what it meant for Children in Need,” she said.

“Rob is what you’d expect: smart, passionate, organised and absolutely determined to get the best out of everyone. And him and AJ sort of clashed because they had different views.”

Despite the rocky start, Mr Brady defended Mr Rinder’s performance as project manager, praising his determination and dry wit under pressure.

She also suggested that the intense environment, compounded by freezing temperatures and tight deadlines, played a role in heightening emotions.

The drama was not limited to the boardroom either.

Mr Brady admitted her own team suffered an early setback in the kitchen. “My team got off to a really bad start because they burnt the biscuits!” she said. “It was a disaster, but they turned out very impressive in the end, thankfully.”

Lord Sugar also addressed the line-up and the festive challenge, revealing that around a million biscuits will be produced and sold this Christmas.

Viewers will be able to choose between two designs, Jolly McTrouble and Gary the Penguin, with proceeds going to Children in Need.

The special will also see Mike Soutar step in as Lord Sugar’s aide, replacing Tim Campbell for the episodes.

“Unfortunately Tim couldn’t make it,” Lord Sugar explained. “So we called upon Mike to come in — he knows the programme inside out.”

While viewers can expect plenty of festive chaos and boardroom tension, Mr Brady stressed that competition was ultimately driven by a shared desire to raise as much money as possible for charity.

“They were actually a very competitive bunch,” she said. “They all wanted to win and they all wanted to raise as much money as possible.”